A Donegal mother has had a well-deserved pamper session and makeover – and will be revealing her new look this afternoon on TV.
Róisin McBride, the Vice Secretary of Donegal Down Syndrome, was nominated for a beauty makeover on Today with Maura and Daithi at 4.10pm on RTE1.
Today’s edition of the chat show is focused on friendship, so Roisin and her friend Ciara were treated to a busy day of glitz and glamour in Cork. Ciara had emailed Today to share their story.
“It was a fantastic day because everyone was so kind,” Roisin told Donegal Daily. “We had a brief interview with Dáithí Ó Sé before being whisked off to get our hair and makeup done.”
Roisin and Ciara took the opportunity to highlight the great work of Down Syndrome Ireland and share their personal stories. They also got to meet Hector Ó hEochagáin and Tipperary hurling captain Brendan Maher.
Roisin’s daughter Eve has Down Syndrome. Just months after her birth, Eve had to undergo open heart surgery in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin.
It was there that Roisin met Ciara Reid from Dublin, whose baby girl Réiltín was going through the same procedure.
“The two of us immediately clicked,” Roisin said. “Ciara is a very level-headed lady and was a fantastic support.”
“If I was having a bad day or worried about Eve, I would go to Ciara and she would hash it out with me. She would help me see that my problems weren’t as bad as I originally thought.”
Odhran and Eve
Roisin was in Crumlin with Eve for three months from October last year. Eve’s father Seamus and older brother Odhran would visit them often as she recovered.
“Life in Crumlin was like a pressure cooker,” Roisin said. She found a great friend when she met Ciara in December and they have been close ever since.
“Our two little ladies brought us together, I hope now that they will be good friends too when they are older,” Roisin said. “There is strength that comes from these babies.”
Both Eve and Réiltín are doing well following their surgeries. Eve had feeding issues after she was released from hospital and Roisin found that she greatly needed outside help.
“We had gone from high dependency to nothing. There is no service in Donegal for feeding issues. I called Donegal Down Syndrome and the support that I got from them was fantastic. They came out to talk to me and gave great advice,” Roisin said.
“Ciara was going through the same thing and I was in contact with her everyday as she advised me on feeding issues.”
“The best experience and advice you can get is from a parent.”
Roisin will take the chance to sing the praises of Donegal Down Syndrome during today’sTV appearance and highlight issues facing paediatric cardiology services.
“It’s important that other mammies from Donegal who are travelling to Dublin or are down there to know that DDS is there to support them.”
“This was a great chance to bring awareness to Down Syndrome and congenital heart defects. Forty per cent of children with Down Syndrome have heart defects.”
Roisin also added that one third of children in the Children’s Heart Centre in Crumlin had Down Syndrome. There are only 25 cardiac beds to cover both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the centre has been funded by private donations and fundraisers.
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