Build4Life charity honoured for its fundraising effort for hospital

A Munster-based charity which has raised €3.6m towards improving outcomes for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients at Cork University Hospital (CUH) has been honoured for its efforts.

Build4Life, founded by Joe Browne, was afforded a civic reception after seven years of fundraising for life-saving facilities for adults and children with CF attending CUH.

The projects to benefit include:

* A new 20-bed inpatient ward for adults with chronic respiratory illnesses, including CF, due to open next November. Build4Life donated €2.3m towards the ward, the largest philanthropic donation ever made to CUH.

* An adult CF outpatient clinic which opened in CUH in 2011 at a cost of circa €350,000.

* The charity is close to reaching its target of raising €1m to develop inpatient and outpatient facilities for children with CF attending CUH.

Build4Life has also funded medical equipment which will allow the paediatric CF team treat children in single rooms until the new children’s unit is developed. A number of iPads were also recently purchased by the charity for use by children with CF at CUH.

Mr Browne, whose own son Padraig has CF, said they were “delighted to be honoured” for their efforts.

Lord Mayor Catherine Clancy said the achievements of Build4Life were all the greater when one considered that many of the volunteers involved were families who were also dealing with the challenges of CF.

Build4Life was formed in 2007 after the death in CUH of CF patient Mary Hand from Co Kerry, who was unable to have a lung transplant due to infections she contracted.

Mr Browne said her death highlighted the need for isolation facilities for people with CF, which the new ward will provide.