Little Leo supporting Happy Heart Appeal
A six year old Meath boy who survived a stroke when he was just 16 months old has been lending his support to the Irish Heart Foundation’s Happy Heart Appeal, which takes place this week.
Little Leo McGarry from Ashbourne was just 16 months old when he suffered a stroke as a complication of the chicken pox virus.
His mother, Niamh Gibney recalls he was perfectly health until he got chicken pox.
When he started acting strangely. Niamh suspected a stroke straight away because he was paralysed down the left side.
“He as taken to Temple Street, where a CT and MRI confirmed a stroke. It is an extremely rare complication of chicken pox,” she explains.
Little Leo spent six weeks in Temple Street and then Enable Ireland provide speech and language therapy, phyiotherapy and occupational therapy for a year and he has now recovered really well.
He is now a pupil of Gaelscoil na Mi in Ashbourne and has no recollection of the events, is happy and strong and more than willing to lend a hand to the Happy Heart campaign
According to the Irish Heart Foundation, each year in Ireland more than one thousand lives are lost prematurely to heart disease and stroke.
According to CSO vital statistics 2014, as many as 1,076 people died before they reached their 65th birthday and 74 per cent were men.
In Meath, in 2014, (latest available figures) 263 people of all ages lost their lives to heart disease and stroke - with that figure growing to almost 9,000 people nationally.
Heart disease and stroke is the most common cause of death in Ireland, accounting for 33per cent of all deaths.
A host of celebrities have backed the Irish Heart Foundation’s Happy Heart Appeal supported by Abbott, asking the public to buy a happy heart this May to raise vital funds for community prevention for children and adults all around Ireland.
Celebrities lending their support to the appeal to #KeepHeartsBeating included RTE broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan, model Hayley Ryan, former Ireland ladies rugby captain Fiona Coghlan, TV maitre’d and heart transplantee John Healy, RTE broadcaster and heart attack survivor Michael Lyster, Fair City actor Brian Murray and former Dublin GAA star Alan Brogan.
At the Happy Heart Appeal launch in CHQ Dublin, the celebrities were also joined by real life heart and stroke heroes including six year old Leo, Abbott employee Fred Kelly, 37, from Waterford who has an inherited heart condition and Peter McHugh from Mayo who celebrates his 80th birthday year after 20 years volunteering for the Irish Heart Foundation.
The public is invited to support the appeal by buying a happy heart pin from volunteers on 5th or 6th May or you can text HAPPY to 50300 to give €4. www.irishheart.ie