€34k raised for Limerick girl Ellie to see the world before she loses her sight

She has already been to France and more trips planned after her radiation treatment in Germany

So far Ellie has had a trip to France but more are planned after radiation treatment. Picture courtesy of Caroline Cusack

Over €34k has been raised for an 11-year-old girl in Limerick in the hopes of allowing her to see as much of the world as she can before she loses her sight.

Ellie Cusack was recently diagnosed with multiple meningioma tumours after years of her sight deteriorating.

Recently, her family received the positive news that the tumour on her optic nerve is benign, however, as Ellie prepares to undergo radiation treatment in Germany, the risk of losing her sight remains.

Family, friends, and neighbours have come together to raise funds for Ellie to ensure that she can see and experience as much as possible while she still has her sight.

Early concerns

For Ellie’s mother, Caroline Cusack, the concerns for her daughter’s sight began early in her life and by the age of three, Ellie had a patch on one eye. While this worked for some time, Caroline soon noticed that Ellie could no longer see out of one eye.

Following her “mother's instinct”, she said she knew it was not working.

“She got completely withdrawn in herself that time,” said Caroline.

“She is such a bubbly child. My older kids — there’s five and seven-year age gaps — so she has always been so used to pottering around herself, so happy to be in her own company, but she had completely gotten withdrawn, so I knew it just wasn’t her.

Ellie Cusack and her mother Caroline and siblings Leah and Aaron. Ellie has recently been diagnosed with multiple meningioma tumours. Picture: Caroline Cusack

“When we stopped it then, she was grand, she got back to herself. All was good. They just keep a close observation on the ‘good eye’.” 

Continuing with regular eye checks in the years following, when Ellie was eight, there was “panic” one day during a routine appointment.

This was when Caroline first heard that there was a possibility that Ellie had a tumour in her brain as it was discovered that her optic nerve was extremely swollen in her ‘good eye’.

After going to hospitals and being prescribed medication, things were not improving.

Tumours

Following more MRIs, it was not until late August of this year that Ellie was diagnosed with having multiple meningioma tumours.

“I had been fighting with them that long for answers but now, when I got the answer, I didn’t want it,” Caroline recalled.

“The end of August, her neurologist took me into a tiny room, and I just knew because they kept Ellie out with the nurse, and they brought me in, and I just got that sinking feeling that this isn’t good.” She was told that Ellie has a number of tumours with the main one of concern located on her optic nerve.

“Basically, he said we don’t know how long she has left with this vision on this eye because, he said, we’ve actually never seen this in a child before.” Caroline described Ellie as “truly amazing”.

“She said: ‘Am I going to die Mam?’ And I said: No, you’re not going to die but I said, the doctors think that you’re going to lose your sight.

Upset

“So, she got very upset and then in typical Ellie-style, within a few minutes, she’s consoling me.

Following the news, Caroline said the people around her have been a big support.

Her colleague, Tricia McCarthy established a Go Fund Me page which has so far accumulated over €34,000 “to take Ellie to see the world while she can see.” 

So far, Ellie has had a trip to France and there are other big plans post radiation treatment.

“She wants to swim with pigs in the Bahamas. She would like to go and see Iceland as well,” said Caroline.

To donate, visit ‘Let’s Get Sights for Ellie’ on gofundme.com.