Conor O’Donnell Story
"Will you bring the magic of Barretstown to another child facing serious illness this Summer?"
Meet Conor
``Conor’s chemotherapy diagnosis was like a bomb went off in our world....``
Everything was normal with Conor even up to his diagnosis, he met all his milestones to the point where he started in school early.
Conor's school eye test revealed a problem with his eyes. They suspected lazy eye, so his right eye was patched for six hours every day to help strengthen his left.
After a few weeks something felt wrong. His right eye was deteriorating...
An MRI and a CT scan confirmed the O'Donnell family's worst fears, Conor’s vision was worsening because he had an inoperable brain tumour....
Listen to Conor's Story
Rainbow Babies
Our Conor is a rainbow baby. He was born after we lost his sister, Caitlyn, who lived for only a short while.
She was the only girl amongst our four boys. She passed away just twenty minutes
after her birth, and we say that Conor and his little brother Patrick are Caitlyn’s Rainbow
Babies, that she sent to ease our sorrow.
We are a big family, and a complex one.
There’s my husband Tim, our oldest boys Shane and Rory, who are 11 and 9.
Caitlyn would be 8. Then there is Conor, aged 7, whose cancer journey I share with you today.
And our little man Patrick who is 5 and has autism.
Families with complex needs the size of mine going through a long journey with
cancer or another serious childhood illness, we could never dream of coming to a magical
place like Barretstown. It’s your support that makes it happen, and of course, your love.
Symptoms Out Of The Blue
At Conor's primary care appointment, he was referred to Crumlin. Half an hour later they rang. Could we come in the next day?
Conor’s vision was worsening because he had an inoperable brain tumour.
The memory of telling my husband Tim and our boys still breaks my heart. Can you imagine sharing that one of your children, one of your littlest, had a brain tumour?
I cried when the first dose of Conor’s chemotherapy went in. I knew I had given my consent to this medication that was about to make him violently ill.
The Barretstown Girls
We came to learn that Conor had an oral aversion to medications. If we couldn’t get his medication into him, he’d vomit for three or four days. We tried everything.
Seeing him and his brothers have to give up little pieces of their childhood was just as hard.
Swimming was just one favourite in a long list of childhood activities that had to be put on hold. The best parts of being young suddenly seemed out of bounds.
Those were the weeks when the real relationship with the Barretstown Hospital Outreach Team began.
I couldn’t explain how, only that the same girls on the team were there in the hospital every week and they just clicked with Conor. He loved them.
From one week to the next, Conor started to gag when the nurses flushed his chemotherapy line. He was so young. The girls came over and kept him distracted, and wouldn’t you know he’d be fine if they were there. Those connections you help create outside of camp make such a difference to families!
The Magic Of Camp
At last we were able to come for our first visit to Barretstown, that day there was definitely a feeling of magic in the air.
Those Family Camps you made possible for us were truly magic.
Doing the activities he and his brothers would never do at home like horse riding, boating, archery, and the climbing wall.
The silly things as well, just being a family together again.
One of the activities was using iPads to make a family video. It sounds simple, yet it’s so much more. You know you should make time to capture those moments even when your family is healthy. Then somehow, life takes over.
Lifting The Weight Of Worry
My husband Tim often says most people will think we’re at Barretstown for Patrick, not Conor. He’s our boy with autism.
Patrick was late to walk. At the age of five, he’s still not talking. Wherever we go, he’s not like other children. You worry how people will see him, or receive him – like you would for any of your children. Only with Patrick you worry more.
You help Barretstown lift the weight of all that worry off the shoulders of mams and dads like me, because you care.
Camp is such a gift of your generosity and love for children and families. I hope you could help another family like mine with a gift of any size today. Donate Today
Life’s Most Beautiful Rainbows
Conor rang the bell at Crumlin for his final day of chemotherapy just a few short months ago.
They gave him such a warm send off. The Barretstown outreach girls were there of course! We treasure their friendship. As Conor’s journey goes forward, as well, I know we’ll continue to be grateful for their genuine love and concern.
Conor’s brain tumour isn’t in a location where it can be removed. But the treatments have stabilised it – and that’s a positive sign.
Barretstown reminds you that you’re not on your own, that there’s so many families going through something similar.
Hear from The O'Donnell's – Tim, Lynne, Shane, Rory, Conor, Patrick, and Caitlyn, in spirit
I know this summer there are families just like mine who would be so grateful for the healing magic of a Barretstown camp – a rainbow of hope in the storm of childhood illness. Please help if you can. Thank you for every rainbow
Read the O'Donnell's letter in their own words about the transformative effect Barretstown had on the life of Conor and his family.
The O'Donnell's LetterCould you bring hope and healing magic to another child in Ireland facing serious illness this Summer... and to their family who loves them? Donate Today
“When you love someone with a serious illness, it’s a powerful reminder of what matters most” - Conor’s mum, Lynne