Holly Carroll’s Story
"Will you bring the magic of Barretstown to another child facing serious illness this Spring?"
Meet Holly
Holly was born with half a heart.
To see her today, you might never imagine the open heart surgeries she had before the age of 3... or the heart transplant she went through at age 5.
But it’s because of friends like you that Holly has a place where her heart can belong. A place where she doesn’t have to worry that she isn’t fast enough or strong enough or that she doesn’t fit in.
At Barretstown she can just be Holly, filled with her own confidence and light. It’s a gift her family hopes with all their hearts you could give to a child with serious illness today – through your donation for the gift of time at Barretstown.
Because every sick child deserves the magic of camp. No matter how sick they may be...
The longest week
An infant’s heart is only as big as a walnut. Holly’s was half that.
Specialists told Holly’s family that the left side of her heart was so underdeveloped, it would never pump blood to her body the way hearts normally do.
If they couldn’t get her strength up to have open heart surgery that week, Holly had no hope of surviving.
She was so tiny, and it was only the first of three open heart surgeries she would need to stay alive.
Leaving the decision in their hands – with that broken heart that was half as big as a walnut – Holly’s surgeon tipped the scales in her favour.
He said, “God didn’t make people like me for no reason. I’ll do the surgery.”
It took eight long hours. But Holly survived.
The Last Option
On the day he was wheeled into the operating theatre, Harry would emerge having had a biopsy, with a shunt placed in his brain to drain fluid and relieve the pressure that had been building.
Days later, he began 85 long weeks of chemotherapy in the hope of shrinking the tumours.
Harry's father, Paul, struggled every day.
This was one battle he couldn’t jump in and fight for Harry. It left him feeling helpless in a way he had never experienced before.
Doireann's big fear was Harry’s transition back to school in autumn. His classmates had seen him leave junior infants as their friend Harry—always positive, always up for anything. Full of energy and laughter.
How would he be welcomed back?
The friendship and reassurance of Barretstown
All that summer, Doireann watched Harry grow weaker in his place on the couch as the treatments began to take hold. His little six-year-old body lost a full stone. And the shock on the faces of his sisters when his hair fell out was something she would never forget.
So she asked, “Could a Barretstown school education programme help ease Harry’s transition back to school?”
The answer came back a resounding “Yes!” and the remarkable difference it made could be seen clearly on Harry’s face. Armed with that bit of education around his journey, his classmates instantly understood: “Oh! That’s still our same Harry.”
Time at Barretstown
For Harry's sisters, the sibling camps became a place where every camper understood—where no one had to explain what it felt like. Volunteer Caras and activities placed sisters and brothers at the centre of it all, giving them the space to express what they were going through and helping them realise that, in sharing, they were also helping other young people their age to do the same.
When families arrive at Barretstown, Doireann often reflects that there is no need to think for a second. There is a medical team there, along with a mini-hospital in the MedShed, ready to care for every child’s needs. The volunteer Caras are always there to help with whatever is needed. Families know they will be fed, and that they will stay in safe, welcoming cottages with soft beds to sleep in.
Joy at the climbing wall
There was a span of time when he was so weak from the medicine and chemotherapy that they arrived at Barretstown with Harry in a wheelchair—he was simply too weak to walk. His sisters had already experienced the climbing walls and loved them, but Harry had never gotten the chance.
So there they were at the climbing wall at camp when one of the Caras came over and asked, “Harry, would you like to go up the wall in a chairlift?”
After months of worry, and of seeing Harry as the child who was always different to his peers, Doireann felt her heart lift at the simple but powerful inclusivity of that moment.
And Harry, of course, was delighted with himself and all the fuss. He was fitted into a special harness with belaying ropes, and he was gently hoisted all the way to the top of the climbing wall.
Anyone watching could see it clearly—Harry felt like a king.
``When you give, whatever amount you choose, it’s magic.`` - Doireann, Harry's Mum Donate Today
Living proof of your kindness
Harry is ten now and about a year and a half past his chemotherapy treatments. He’s still mad for rugby and still making his family laugh with his antics. In many ways, though, Doireann knows his hardest journey continues.
He has brain scans every six months to monitor the tumours—an ongoing routine that, while reassuring, never fully loses its weight. Those scans will gradually spread out, but they will continue for years to come.
He has dealt with weakness on his right side, and a right hand that once struggled to clasp. And he still has that slight limp, where the tumours affected the communication between his brain and his muscles. If she is being honest, Doireann knows that walking and running will always be something he has to work at.
But she also knows this: when people give for children like Harry, the love and support of Barretstown never leave their sides.
Hear from the Cassidy’s - Doireann, Paul, Lilly, Anna, and Harry
From the hospital outreach and school education programmes to camps for Harry, their family, and his sisters, the generosity of Barretstown supporters allows the whole family to heal.
Please give if you can for another child like Harry this spring – another family upended by news of a serious illness diagnosis.
The Cassidy's LetterIf you can possibly give €50 today, or even €25, to help another family to come to camp, that would be amazing. Or if you prefer instead to join as a Barretstown monthly supporter starting at just €10 monthly, you will be sponsoring magic moments every month. Donate Today
Six more children each week on average will face a cancer diagnosis, including this week. Your kind gift of €25, or whatever you can now, will help bring childhood back to their lives.