The mother of a Donegal girl with spina bifida is calling for fundraising help to give her daughter the best quality of life.
Four-year-old Tina Joan (T.J.) McDaid will have an extremely challenging start to the New Year as she is due to have skull reshaping surgery.
Her mother, Claire McDaid from Drumkeen, is waiting on the call from Temple Street soon after Christmas Day.
After the surgery, TJ faces months of bed rest as part of her recovery.
On top of this, the little girl is battling stage 1 kidney failure.
TJ has had more than her fair share of battles since birth, but has defied the odds from day one.
When TJ was born with severe spina bifida meningocele, doctors told her parents that she would be unable to move her legs, but her promising signs of movement gave hope that one day she may be able to walk.
She has been travelling to Budapest regularly in recent years for intensive physiotherapy treatment at the Peto Institute.
And she defied the odds by taking her first steps in 2023.
TJ walking with the aid of leg splints during her physiotherapy treatment at the Peto Institute
“The more active TJ can be after this surgery, the better for her kidneys now,” says Claire.
However, each trip to Budapest comes at a great expense to the family, costing €12,000 on average for the therapy. Claire has enough funding for one more trip to Budapest.
Fundraising is a priority to ensure TJ’s treatment can continue in the New Year.
“TJ will need a full year of therapy to get to a point where she can walk unaided. We are doing one last push for funds to help get TJ up and walking and improve her health and quality of life,” said Claire.
“This Christmas we are putting out an appeal to people to get behind TJ in any way they can.”
For all updates on TJ’s journey, visit the TJ Wish to Walk fundraising page here.
Visit TJ’s main GoFundMe fundraising page at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/life-changing-treatment-for-t-j/
If you would like to organise a fundraiser on behalf of TJ or make a donation, contact Claire on clairemcdaid2024@gmail.com
Little Blue Hero TJ visited Santa before Christmas at Oakfield Park’s Santa Express