Community rallies for family in need
Four-year-old Ciarán Treacy died following a two car crash near his home town of Portarlington on the Laois/Offaly border on April 17. His mother Gillian, who was severely injured in the crash, attended his funeral on a stretcher four days later.
Gillian was taken straight to Tallaght Hospital after Ciarán’s funeral. She has had eight operations in 28 days, with one procedure lasting 12 hours.
“From the chest down, if it wasn’t broken it was either battered or bruised,” explained Gillian’s husband Ronan.
Ciarán’s older brother Sean, 7 and the driver of the second car escaped the collision with minor injuries. Gillian was conscious for an hour as emergency services cut her from the wreckage and fought to save her son.
Ciarán idolised his older brother Sean and was extremely close to his little sister Caoimhe, 2. “She knows that he’s not around and she knows he is in heaven,” Gillian said.
Gillian was bringing her boys home from their grandparents in Stradbally, Co Laois when tragedy struck. She had just promised to make pancakes for Ciarán. “The last words he probably would have said were ‘wow, we are going to have pancakes’,” she recalled.
On top of the pain of losing a child, the Treacys — who are self employed and lease a shop and filling station in Portarlington — are now facing mounting medical bills and costs associated with adapting their home for Gillian’s future needs.
While nothing can bring Ciarán back, the community has rallied around the family and set up the Ciarán Treacy Family Support Fund (CTFSF) which will be holding a series of events in the coming weeks.
It’s hoped the campaign can assist the family as they try to pick up the pieces following the tragedy.
Gillian, who is wheelchair bound, returned home last week. While her recovery will involve more operations and could take several months, her primary concern has always been for her children. “We have to keep positive for the other two, that’s the only thing keeping us going,” she said.
Ciarán’s uncle Colm Treacy said he hopes that the fund will continue to assist other families.
Details of fundraising events are available at www.facebook.com/bubbles.for.ciaran. An account in the name of Ciarán Treacy Family Support Fund has been opened in Portarlington Credit Union. Donations can be made to IBAN: IE88 BOFI 90186124552141, BIC: BOFIIE2D.
