Charity
Limerick’s Fitzgerald Family win ‘Limerick Person of the Month May 2021’
Fitzgerald Family – Pictured above are Kai, Kelly, Simon and Eileen. Not pictured, Mark and Jackson gratefully accepting the award from Perth.
Limerick’s Fitzgerald Family win ‘Limerick Person of the Month May 2021’
By I Love Limerick Correspondent Tara Byrne
The Fitzgerald family from Limerick received the ‘Limerick Person of the Month’ on behalf of their father John Fitzgerald who passed away in January. The award recognises the incredible work completed by the family in memory of John.
The Fitzgerald family set up ‘Our Journey For John’ where they walked from Crecora to Perth to raise money for those who cared for John in his final days. It is a journey John didn’t have the privilege of completing so his family did it virtually on his behalf, walking a total of 15,051 km.
Simon Fitzgerald, John’s son said, “when we heard that dad had won person of the month it was a little bit bittersweet. We would have loved it if he could have received it in person but sadly it wasn’t meant to be. He was very kind and willing to help anyone who needed it so it’s a fantastic accolade for us to receive this award on his behalf. We are all very proud of him! The award takes centre place on the mantelpiece and it’s another reminder of what a fantastic guy he was”.
The award was presented to the Fitzgerald family in the Clarion Hotel. Aine Fitzgerald from the Limerick Leader, Dave O’Hora from Southern Media Agency and the management team in the Clarion presented the award to the family.
The Fitzgerald family set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to support the amazing frontline workers in their endeavour to support both patients and families during these unprecedented times. The Facebook page called ‘Our Journey for John’ was set up to document this journey, highlighting each day how many kilometres they had to go.
This fundraiser was organised for the staff at University Hospital Limerick ICU who cared for John Fitzgerald, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, son-in-law, uncle, and friends who sadly passed away on Wednesday, January 27, 2021.
The family raised over €26,000 euro and secured donations of 6 iPads, covers and screens. A request was sent to the
ICU for a wishlist of everything they needed and the family managed to purchase everything on that wishlist.
The family helped the incredible staff in UHL to supply ‘Get To Know Me Boards’ in a bid to learn as much as they can about each of the patients in their care. The ICU now has enough boards to provide every patient in the HDU with their own personal board. This simple initiative helps healthcare workers to see beyond the urgent clinical needs of critically ill patients and meet their other fundamental psychological, social, and spiritual needs.
The first package the staff at UHL ICU received from the fundraiser was worth over €15,000. The package included IV Arms for training and mannequin screening equipment.
Our Journey for John will be doing a presentation to the nursing staff in UHL in the coming days to thank them for all of the selfless efforts and the unbelievable care they gave to John and all the other sick people in ICU.
The family said, “Thank you once again for supporting our journey for John and making this possible. John would be so proud to see what’s being achieved in his name”.
They added, “there are some people that have to be mentioned as if it wasn’t for them ‘Our Journey for John’ wouldn’t have happened. Thank you, Stephanie Quinn, Ellen Quinn Maloney, Denise Rooney and Judy Quinn, for their monumental efforts behind the scenes and Sinead O’Brien for organising goodie bags and gifts for the staff, thank you so much! Thank you to friends and family who have shown us so much compassion and support”.
To donate go HERE
For more stories on Our Journey For John go HERE