There were touching scenes as former Senator Jimmy Harte joined his son Lochlainn as he crossed the finish line during the Walled City marathon on Sunday last.
Four years ago Jimmy suffered serious head injuries after a fall in Dublin in November 2013.
Despite the odds being stacked against him, Jimmy made a miraculous recovery.
Inspired by the dedication of the team who worked tirelessly with his father, Lochlainn ran his first marathon in April 2014 to raise money for the Beaumont Hospital Foundation, making for a touching symbolic end to the marathon when Jimmy joined his son for the last stretch, accompanying him across the finish line.
This year Lochlainn ran the marathon for the Letterkenny based No Barriers Foundation’s Positive Steps Campaign. The Positive Steps Campaign hopes to raise funds to bring an Eksobionic robotic exoskeleton to Donegal.
The exoskeleton is a therapy tool which can provide an unparalleled rehabilitation experience for patients and therapists.
Lochlainn says that this exoskeleton has helped his father immensely, and would also be of benefit to other members of the community.
“With this exoskeleton my father Jimmy can keep progressing beyond a level we ever imagined. It will also help any other members of the community who need it, so now is our time to give back.”
Lochlainn smashed his goal of raising €2,000 and raised a staggering €2,350 – bringing the No Barriers Foundation closer to their €150,000 goal.
If you would like to donate to the Positive Steps Campaign you can do so by following this link:
https://www.gofundme.com/marathon-fundraiser?r=98633
