Trim girl
by Noelle Finegan Updated: Wednesday, 7th July, 2010 4:43pm
Fundraising efforts continue with sports memorabilia auction
Molly Lanney with her parents Anita and Michael.
Four-year-old Molly Lanney from Trim is recovering well following a successful operation in the United States that will enable her to to speak.
A daughter of Michael and Anita Lanney, Molly suffers from DiGeorge Syndrome, the second most common syndrome after Down's Sydrome. Molly is missing glands to protect her immune system but the main impact is her speech, caused by a gap at the back of her neck.
Fundraising efforts have been underway for a number of months to send Molly for an operation in the United States that is not available in Ireland, to build up the flap in her throat. With intensive speech and language therapy, Molly will have almost perfect speech.
Molly, her parents and grandparents, travelled to New York on Thursday 17th June and the four-year-old underwent a series of tests on the Monday, before her operation took place on Tuesday 21st June.
The operation at the Upstate Medical Centre in Syracuse, New York State, was performed by Dr Robert Shprintzen who first diagnosed the condition in the 1970s.
Mrs Lanney said that, thankfully, the operation to build up the flap at the back of Molly's neck had been completely successful and the family is due to arrive home tomorrow (Thursday).
"So far so good. The building of the flap was completely successful. Molly is not able to eat solids for two weeks because of the stitches. She can't speak straight away but some sounds and words are clearer and she will undergo intense speech and language therapy," said Molly's mother last Thursday.
Molly was due to have more tests the next day and the speech therapists have given the Lanneys exercises and programmes they can do with Molly when they get home.
"Molly had been trying to speak form the bottom of her neck rather than her voicebox and she will now need to learn to use what she has been given. We are seeing the results already, but there is still a lot of work to do," she said.
The operation alone cost $34,000 and a major fundraising drive has been taking place over recent months. A night at the dogs in Shelbourne Park last month was very successful and a golf classic at Knightsbrook Hotel this Friday is already sold out.
There will also be an auction of sports memorabilia in Knightsbrook Golf Club on Friday night and the Lanneys are hoping that this will be well-supported. There will be music from Cormac Dempsey, followed by a DJ.
The auction was organised by Molly's aunt's partner, Ian Ross, who is director of communications with Everton FC. It includes jerseys signed by Fernando Torres, Stephen Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and the England soccer team. A unique item is an Everton shirt signed by Wayne Rooney for the late Stephen Gately of Boyzone.
Theatre producer Bill Kenright is chairman of Everton FC and, in 2003, Stephen Gately played Joseph in the musical Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
When the show was staged in Liverpool, Gately was presented with an Everton jersey signed by Wayne Rooney who played with the club at the time. Gately forgot the shirt and Mr Ross has donated it to the auction.
Other items include a signed flag from the 18th hole when Padraig Harrington won the US PGA championship, a hurley signed by the Kilkenny All-Ireland team, Bernard Dunne's boxing gloves and signed gloves that belonged to Manny Pacquiao.
For more information or to make a donation, see www.littlemolly.info
Post a Comment