‘Dónal has made a difference to this world in 16 short years’
His story touched the hearts of the nation, both young and old. A 16-year-old who had been dealt a cruel hand, diagnosed with cancer at 12, told after three years of chemo, operations, and heartache that it was terminal.
Pissed off with the world, you’d presume? Questioning God or even his existence? Not a bit of it, in fact he embraced the world, he thanked God for life, for his parents Elma and Fionnbar, and sister Jemma, and his “brothers” James, Cormac, Hugh, and John.
Dónal saw beauty everywhere around him. The beauty of the world the rest of us had chosen to ignore and not appreciate.
On that TV show, presenter Brendan O’Connor had to draw out of Dónal the fact that he’d raised over €50,000 for Crumlin Hospital, something that people need to know — with €10,000 of that raised through Dónal this year alone — the months when things were at their most difficult.
He spoke that night about many things, one being his desire — if given more time — to visit New Zealand, the unofficial home of rugby.
Anyone watching was dumbstruck by his attitude and his positivity. It was heart-wrenching stuff.
However, those who had the pleasure of meeting Dónal knew that not only could he climb many of God’s mountains, he could also move them — New Zealand came to Dónal in the form of a phonecall from legendary All Blacks out-half Dan Carter, the reigning IRB World Player of the Year.
Back in 2008, Dónal enrolled in Tralee CBS for first year, but it wasn’t until the following year he could actually start with us. Dreams of playing for his beloved Munster were, by that stage, well and truly shattered, after having one of his knees removed along with half of his femur and part of his tibia.
For the next four years, Dónal would be in and out of school, juggling chemo, operations, and buckets of medication, but he was never without a smile. I remember once he informed me that because of his prosthetics and treatment, he would not be able to take part in full PE lessons, but could do table tennis — cancer wasn’t going to put him down. Dónal was a fighter who always found a way.
Earlier this year, I nominated Dónal for a Local Hero award in conjunction with a local newspaper and radio station. I knew there was no one who could disagree with him being awarded the prize. When he was chosen, I was asked to go back to his house for the prize-giving. His parents Elma and Fionnbar welcomed me.
When Dónal came downstairs he greeted me with a firm handshake and, of course, that smile. That smile hid vast quantities of daily medication that was always sitting on the countertop behind him, that smile he had worn since the first day he came into school, that smile that took on weeks and weeks of Duxorubicin, Cisplatin, and Methotrexate — chemo therapies he described as becoming like best friends and worst enemies.
That smile will always be synonymous with Dónal. As we spoke I felt so much at ease, he thanked me for nominating him over and over. Even then I felt he deserved far more recognition for his bravery and selflessness. Little did I know then that Dónal would go from local to national and eventually international status, but perhaps I should have expected it of this boundless, gentle man.
When I spoke to reporters that day I said Dónal epitomised what our students stood for. On reflection, I must change that. Though we are privileged Elma and Fionnbar chose Tralee CBS to send their son to, Dónal went far beyond what we do here. It is his parents who deserve so much recognition for Dónal and his upbringing. To raise such a fine young man and to see the crowds of people that will bring Tralee to a standstill this week must be some small consolation at this terrible time.
Those who are left behind was very much in Dónal’s thoughts from well before last Christmas when he was already preparing his loved ones for Sunday night’s haunting news.
Dónal had a clear idea of how he wanted his funeral to be, he discussed this with his parents and they in turn had to set about organising their beautiful boy’s final wishes. It’s evident where Dónal got his strength from.
This young Kerryman has made such a difference to this world in 16 short years, not just to those fortunate to have met him, but for those who didn’t. We are all the better for him.
Dónal is finally in a peaceful place, and we should all be grateful for his broadening of our vision of life. As one of his teachers, it’s appropriate to thank him for teaching us.
As Dónal penned himself at the end of his essay: “The next thing has to be bigger and better. It has to be.”
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a ainm.
*Ruairi O’Rahilly is a teacher at Tralee CBS in Co Kerry.
A video message from Dónal Walsh encouraging young people with suicidal thoughts to seek help could be sent to schools across the country from September.
After hearing Dónal’s story this year, Mental Health Minister Kathleen Lynch and the National Office of Suicide Prevention contacted the teen’s family to see if he would take part in the public awareness campaign.
While no formal date has been confirmed, should Dónal’s family be happy with the outcome, the inspirational Kerry boy’s message will continue to play a key role in tackling youth suicide.
“We will be doing a limited number of DVDs for schools, if his family are happy with it, but more importantly it will go up on the web where it will be accessible to everybody,” Ms Lynch said.
“I’m not certain the cohort of people we need to reach are waiting for an [anti-suicide] ad to come on after the Nine O’Clock News.
“I don’t think they’re on the sofa watching the news. And that’s why Dónal’s message is so important and hopefully will be listened to.”
— Fiachra Ó Cionnaith
