Children’s Book Raises Funds for Parkinson’s

The Parkinson’s Association of Ireland is proud to launch the children’s book “Chicken” by Mairead Maguire. The book has been kindly offered to the Parkinson’s Association as a national fundraiser by the author and all profits raised will go directly to the charity. The author Mairead Maguire worked as a Special Need’s teacher in her early carer and went on to teach at primary level at Scoil Ide in Limerick for thirty years. Mairead retired in 2009 when she was diagnosed with Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA), a very rare neurological disorder, sadly she has recently passed away which makes the book all the more poignant. Mairead’s condition was a very rare and there are very few people in Ireland living with MSA so it’s hoped this book will draw attention to the disease and other patients silently suffering won’t be afraid to come forward to get more information. While Mairead was dealing with her condition, her brain was working overtime compiling this very special story. Her great love of children is evident in the story itself which she tells with good simple language and lots of colour. Mairead’s difficult condition made life very restrictive for her; yet bursting inside her was the will to tell this story. Mairead’s family were a great help as they could understand in a special way what she was trying to say and they also knew what great happiness the achievement of publishing the book would have brought to their Mum. Her husband Diarmuid Maguire was aware there was a second book in Mairead’s mind but sadly she did not have the time to write it. The Parkinson’s Association is very grateful to Mairead and her family for sharing this very special opportunity to raise funds for the association. If you have a child’s birthday coming up or if you want to have this special story to tell your grandchildren, I hope you will buy a copy. Mairead’s talent will live on in this book and I want to share it. I hope her family will find strength to deal with her loss through their pride in Mairead’s achievement. To buy the book contact Una Anderson Ryan at 087 2511156.

Limerick lady Mairead Maguire before she passed away pictured giving a check from the proceeds of her book to Eddie Butler and Billy Rice of the Midwest Parkinsons Association (far left & right) with her daughter Caoimhe and husband Diarmuid