Awareness
Local Radio Station holding 12-hour radio ‘telethon’ to help give Leon a lifeline
Leon’s Lifeline radio telethon- Limerick City Community Radio is holding a radio ‘telethon’ to help send 22-year-old Limerick man Leon O’Connor who has multiple sclerosis to Russia for vital stem cell therapy. Picture: Richard Lynch/ilovelimerick.
Local Radio Station holding 12-hour ‘radiothon’ to help give Leon a lifeline
The Limerick City Community Radio is putting on a 12-hour online radio ‘telethon’ on Monday, September 9 from 8 am to 8 pm, to help raise vital funds for Leon O’Connor, a 22-year-old Limerick animation student suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.
The idea came to Mike, an Old Cork road man, who MS strikes a chord with as his wife Beverly suffers from the same condition. While brainstorming on what they could do to help Leon, they came up with a radio ‘telethon’.
They aim to help raise funds for the cause and also raise awareness of the distress caused to people who are suffering from MS. There will be prominent personalities from the region coming in to chat with the studio, as well as some MS patients and professionals in that field to chat to various hosts.
The radio ‘telethon’ can so far only be streamed online, through Limerick City Community Radio’s website. They are seeking a FM licence from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland before the event starts.
Originally planning to broadcast from Sexton Street, they have now swapped locations to St Munchin’s Community Centre, who will provide a temporary room for the station until a permanent location is found by the City by the Limerick City and County Council.
Leon was diagnosed at the age of 18 and since then, his condition has worsened dramatically. He will have to go to Russia to receive possibly life-saving treatment that is not available in Ireland. The cost of this specialized stem cell therapy is €70,000 and with Leon almost exceeding the health bracket to receive the treatment, time is running out.
The official launch of Leon’s Lifeline fundraiser will be taking place on the roof of the Strand Hotel on Wednesday, September 4 at 11am. The key fundraiser will be a Rachel Allen cooking demonstration and silent auction, also taking place in the Strand Hotel on Wednesday, September 25.
To listen to the broadcast on Monday, September 9, click here.
To donate to Leon’s Lifeline, click here.
To read more stories on Leon’s Lifeline, click here.
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