Local trio to take on Berlin Marathon to raise vital funds for The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation

Lucia Bourke pictured above with her parents Paul and Ashley Bourke and their friend Sharon Hayes

Lucia Bourke with a rare chromosomal abnormality called 22Q11 syndrome which brings physical and developmental problems

Sharon Hayes (Bank of Ireland) from Galbally, Limerick alongside running mates Ben Murphy, Kilfinane (Irish Defence Forces) and Annie Dawson, Elton (Brothers of Charity) are aiming to take on the Berlin Marathon this September for a cause very close to Sharon’s heart.  “My cousin Paul Bourke and his wife Ashley Ryan have a beautiful baby daughter Lucia Bourke, and we are running to raise funds for the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, who provides in-home nursing care for Lucia,” explains Sharon.

Lucia was born last October with a rare chromosomal abnormality called 22Q11 syndrome which brings physical and developmental problems, she also has Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Atresia, which means she has very a complex congenital heart defect. 

Lucia requires 24-hour care and thankfully is doing really well at home. The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation has played a huge part in supporting Paul and Ashley in caring for Lucia, organising nurses to give at home support as they care for Lucia and her complex needs.

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Lucia is scheduled for significant heart surgery in the next few months and Paul and Ashley don’t know what’s around the corner. Lucia is much loved and adored by all her family and friends and in Ashley’s words “we are blessed with our beautiful daughter, and she is just perfect in our eyes”.  In advance of Lucia’s upcoming surgery, the family have been limiting their contact with others to minimise any exposure to viruses, so all of Lucia’s care regime is managed by either parent or a Jack and Jill nurse.  In fact, Sharon has only met baby Lucia once in her first year despite living only two miles from the Kilross based family.  ‘If it wasn’t for Jack and Jill nurses taking care of Lucia, Paul and Ashley would be really isolated,’ Sharon explains.  ‘By having those hours of respite, it gives them an opportunity to take time for themselves or to do the things the rest of us take for granted. In fact, only by having a Jack and Jill nurse to look after Lucia meant that both Paul and Ashley were able to attend two very important funerals this year, as sadly both Ashley’s Grandmother and Paul’s father both passed away earlier this year.’

Alie Sheridan, Head of Fundraising at Jack and Jill said: “We are always blown away when people take on significant challenges like marathons to support families just like the Bourkes.    Jack and Jill currently supports 13 families in Tipperary and 23 in Limerick, in fact since we were founded in 1997 we have provided in-home nursing care and respite support to 233 families across the two counties.  We really appreciate the lengths families under our care, past and present, go to, to support Jack and Jill right back.  By taking on this challenge and committing to a tough training schedule Sharon and her friends are not only celebrating beautiful Lucia they are also help raise vital funds and awareness of the service we provide to over 400 families in Ireland.”

Sharon, Annie and Ben are looking forward to taking on the challenge of The Berlin Marathon and are urging people to DONATE to their fundraising drive.  “Paul and Ashely are well known within their community, and we hope to raise as much funds as we can to give back to Jack and Jill, an organisation who has helped our family so much.” said Sharon.

About the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation:

Jack and Jill is a nationwide charity that funds and provides up to 100 hours per month of in-home nursing care and respite support to families caring for children, up to the age of six, with severe learning disability associated with complex medical needs. Typically, these children may be tube fed, oxygen dependent, may not sleep, take seizures, need a lot of medication and require around-the-clock care. Understandably, their parents can be exhausted and need a break, which is where Jack and Jill comes in. Our service operates 7 days a week, with no means test, no red tape and no waiting list. Another key part of our service is end-of-life-care for all children up to the age six, irrespective of diagnosis, empowering parents to take their child home to die at this most difficult time.

In 2023, Jack and Jill supported 534 families across Ireland with in-home nursing care and respite support. Today, there are 416 families under our care, and 3,040 families have been supported by Jack and Jill since 1997.