Benefit fund for Ballycumber man fighting rare cancer raises over €36k

A fundraiser which was recently set up to support Ballycumber resident Pat Kelly who is battling a rare form of cancer has raised a whopping €36,605.

The Pat Kelly & Family Benefit Fund fundraiser originally set a target of €20,000 but Pat's cousin and one of the members of the organising committee, Sinéad Lynam, said they decided to increase the target following the huge support they received.

She explained: “We were blown away by people's generosity and how quickly we reached €20,000. Initially, we were not sure what target to even set, so we are now aiming to reach €40,000. The donations are really testament to the person Pat is.”

Pat (47) was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer whilst attending the hospital in Tullamore after complaining of a pain in his foot in 2019. He was referred to St Vincent's Hospital and he underwent chemotherapy and subsequently had surgery to remove half of his foot. This was followed by more chemotherapy and radium. Pat then attended Cappagh Hospital in Dublin to have a special shoe fitted to support his balance.

In 2021, the cancer reoccurred, this time in Pat's lungs. Once again, he had to undergo chemotherapy sessions and six and a half weeks of radium in St James Hospital, Dublin. Despite a small respite, in 2023, the cancer came back again in his lungs and also on his side. During this time, he was being monitored closely, and in August, he became very ill and was rushed to Tullamore hospital and transferred to Beaumont Hospital where he was diagnosed with two brain tumours.

The Pullough native had to have brain surgery twice in the space of one week and had both tumours removed. Since then, Pat has had six more cycles of chemotherapy and two and a half weeks of radium in St James. As Pat is unlikely to return to work for the foreseeable future, his family and friends decided to set up the fundraiser to help Pat and his family through this difficult time and the months ahead.

Sinéad added that Pat was absolutely overwhelmed by people's generosity and that he will be forever grateful to everyone for their support. “He is so appreciative of everyone who has made a donation and who have sent words of support to him. He is thankful to the many groups in both Ballycumber and Pullough who have generously supported him and his family. He is also grateful to all of those he has worked with throughout his many years as a chef in Ferbane, Clara and in Tullamore, Grennan's and the Bridge House.”

Last week, Pat's former employer, Scally's Centra in Tullamore, where he worked for 18 years, ran a fundraiser whereby they donated €1 from every coffee purchased from February 4 to February 10.

The culmination of the fundraising is a Benefit Night which takes place this Saturday, February 17 in Ballycumber Community Centre and tickets for the event are sold out. Sinéad said that he organising committee is “very grateful” to everyone who has sponsored prizes for the raffle and to all of the musicians who are giving up their time to play on the night. Simon Casey, Ruaile Buaile and John Molloy will all perform on the night along with other local artists. Doors open at 8pm and there will be a raffle and a bar on the night.

Pat is currently having treatment this week but hopes to be in attendance for some of the night on Saturday. All of the funds raised will be a huge financial help to Pat, his wife and children, as Pat will have to continue to have treatment for the foreseeable future,” concluded Sinéad. Pat's son Cillian is doing his Leaving Cert this summer and they are hoping to go on a family holiday after the exams providing Pat is able to do so.

The Kelly family are no strangers to cancer as Pat's wife Sandra was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2013 and had to have three-quarters of her colon removed. In 2017, she was diagnosed with the BACCA-2 gene, which resulted in her having a double mastectomy, a hysterectomy, and reconstruction. Fortunately, Sandra recovered and is doing well.

Throughout all of this, Pat and his family remain upbeat and strong but all of this has taken its toll on Pat and his family, both emotionally and financially.

Pat and Sandra have two teenage children, Cillian and Megan and he is the son of Fossy Kelly and the late Mary Jo Lynam.