Fund aims to pay cost of bringing boy’s body home from Australia

A fundraising appeal has been launched to help with the repatriation costs of the remains of a young Irish boy who died in Australia last week.

Eleven-year-old Adam Kielty’s parents are due to fly in to Dublin Airport this evening with the remains of their son who died less than 18 months after they emigrated.

The former resident of Castlemartin in Bettystown, Co Meath, developed pneumonia and sepsis and died in hospital in Brisbane on February 22 after a two-week battle.

He was hugely popular as a student in Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh in Laytown, Co Meath, and the Holy Trinity School in Donaghmede, Dublin, before leaving for his new life.

His heartbroken aunt Susan Kielty said: “He had just started in North Lakes College. He came home from school with a sore leg in early February and was sent to hospital. His vital signs were good, but medics fought to discover the site of another infection which they located in his hip bone.

“Doctors said he might lose a toe on his right foot and could need a hip replacement. He did show signs of improvement and the family thought he’d pull through.

“However, Adam’s condition deteriorated and his organs began to fail.”

After two weeks fighting for his life, the sports-mad young boy slipped away in the company of his parents Dermot and Antoinette, older brothers Ryan, 16, and Erick, 22, and his grandfather Paddy.

Dermot had travelled to Brisbane for work as an electrician in February 2013 and the family followed after Ryan completed his Junior Certificate in July that year His older brother Erick was united with his family at Christmas after graduating as an electrician.

The family is due to bring Adam home tonight and his funeral takes place on Wednesday.

To help with the huge costs of repatriation, Susan, who is a member of Cilles AC in East Meath, has decided to run a half-marathon in Bohermeen, Navan, Co, Meath, on Sunday next.

All donations can be made through the club’s website at www.cillesac.ie and the club will cover administration costs to ensure all funds go straight towards repatriation costs.

According to Susan: “Adam’s extended family in Ireland is devastated. We want to raise awareness of pneumonia and meningococcal septicaemia, especially in children.”

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