World’s highest boxing match to raise funds for treatment

IN the fight for his family’s survival no mountain is too high to climb for the man who has organised the world’s highest boxing match on top of Carrantuohill in an effort to finance potentially life-saving treatment for his children.

Tony Heffernan, whose two children Saoirse, 5, and Liam, 2, have been diagnosed with Battens disease, a fatal neurological condition, has convinced two boxing sensations to take to the ring 3,500ft above sea-level to raise awareness and funds.

Next Saturday, between 12.30-1pm, prizefighter champion Willie “Big Bang” Casey and Ireland’s first female professional boxer, Christina McMahon, will join 10 other boxers on top of Ireland’s highest peak in an effort to raise funds to fight Battens Disease.

Tony has hired two helicopters, one to carry the boxing ring to the top of Carrantuohill and the other to carry a video crew to prove to officials from the Guinness Book of Records that Co Kerry played host to the world’s highest ever boxing match.

A team of 50 will also walk their way to the peak and their task upon arrival is to assemble the ring.

This superhuman effort is part of Tony’s ongoing battle- against-the-clock to fund his children’s participation in groundbreaking clinical trials in the US that offer their only hope of survival.

“Saoirse is now legally blind. We are surprised at how progressive the disease has been. We are literally clock-watching in terms of the trial which is now due to take place in August. We are waiting to see if Saoirse gets approval to take part,” Tony said yesterday. The family must raise €800,000 in order to take part.

Up until last month, the Heffernans, who live in Castlemaine, Co Kerry, were the only two children in the Republic of Ireland diagnosed with the degenerative disease, but now a third child, Amelia Rycen, 3, has been diagnosed. The daughter of Damian Ryczan and Tamara Rak, originally from Poland, Amelia lives in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan and was diagnosed in July. Fortunately, her brother Adrian is free from the disease.

The Boxing for Battens Awareness Event is being organised by Bee For Battens, the Saoirse Foundation in conjunction with DOLPHIL Boxing Promotions. * Donations can be made via www.beeforbattens.org or to any AIB bank: Account number: 06040095 Sort: 93-63-24