Every Christmas Day since 2013, friends and family of Carrigaline teenager Danny Crowley, have gathered on Myrtleville Beach to brave the cold waters of the Atlantic for the annual Danny Crowley Christmas Swim in aid of the Mercy Hospital Foundation’s Kids & Teens Appeal.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the memorial swim for Danny, who sadly passed away after a tough battle with Leukaemia in 2013. Organisers are inviting swimmers and anyone willing to take the plunge, to join them on Myrtleville Beach at 10.30am this Christmas morning, for what will be the final swim of this fundraising campaign in memory of Danny.
For those unable to make the swim on Christmas Day, organisers are offering swimmers the option of choosing when and where they swim, on any day from December 17th onwards. This hybrid model was introduced last year in response to Covid restrictions, and proved very successful.
When Danny passed away, his friends and family set up the Danny Crowley Christmas Swim as their way to remember him, while at the same time raising funds for the Mercy Kids & Teens Appeal. To date, the people of Carrigaline, and surrounding areas, who have braved the elements on Christmas Day, have raised over €153,000 for the Mercy Hospital Kids & Teens Appeal, and in particular the Paediatric Outreach Oncology Nursing Service (POONS), which supports Cork’s youngest cancer patients.
Danny’s mom, Majella Crowley, is extremely proud of the swim; and speaking about the difference these funds can make, Majella said “POONS and the entire team in the Children’s Leukaemia unit provided invaluable support to Danny and our family when Danny was undergoing his treatment. They went the extra mile and we all appreciated the huge difference it made. We want to ensure other families can continue to avail of this service.”
Speaking about POONS, Olga Buckley, Paediatric Oncology/Haematology CNS in the Mercy University Hospital, said “Being able to deliver a home-based option to children like Danny enhances their quality of life and allows for some normalisation of family life during cancer treatment. It also means there is a reduction in hospital admissions and promotes early discharge from the Hospital. We are also able to provide ongoing training and development for the team of Clinical Nurse Specialists so that they can provide expert care to the children through informed research and up to date knowledge.”
Speaking ahead of the final year of the memorial swim, Majella added “Danny was a sporty, funny, happy and bright student who had just finished National school at Gaelscoil Charrig Uí Leighin and had started at Presentation Brothers Secondary School when he was diagnosed with a rare type of Leukaemia in December 2012. His friends from Gaelscoil Carrig Uí Leighin decided to honour his memory by organising the Christmas swim that has grown year after year. What started with about 40 swimmers in 2013, now sees more than 500 swimmers brave the water annually. We are so proud of what has been achieved to date; and as this year will be the last official Danny Crowley Christmas Swim, we’re encouraging as many people as possible to come out and make a big splash and help us raise vital funds for the Mercy Kids & Teens Appeal.”
There is no fee to participate in this year’s Danny Crowley Christmas Swim; however you must register in advance at www.mercyhospitalfoundation.ie/dannycrowleyswim-registration/. Fundraising pages can then be set up online at www.idonate.ie/DannyCrowleyXmasSwim for family and friends to support or make a one-off donation.
Be sure to check out @thedannycrowleyswim on Instagram to see those braving the elements the week before Christmas, and share any pictures/videos of you taking part with the page.
For further information on the Mercy Kid & Teens Appeal visit: www.mercyhospitalfoundation.ie
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