Ard Ri CNS stepping up for Nahyan’s ‘High 5’ Campaign
Ard Ri Community National School in Navan has a very special reason to support The ‘High 5 for Nahyan campaign’ next weekend.
Principal Darragh Roe is taking on a gruelling 50km ultra marathon to help raise funds for vital treatment for Nahyan, who is due to start Junior Infants in Ard Ri in September.
"We are looking forward to him starting school with us and his little cousin is already a pupil here," says Darragh. "We feel a personal investment in this.
"All the team, the board of management, with our chairperson Cllr Yemi Adenuga, and our parent association got together to discuss a theme for our fundraisers.
The ultra marathon at the school will see Darragh start out on Friday morning at 8am.
"There will be a 1km loop set up on the rugby club pitches. The school staff will run with me from 8am. Cllr Yemi, will be running her first 5k and each class will join in and run laps throughout the day," Darragh explains.
"The total distance covered by each class will be added up to create a class score. Children will receive a certificate and a medal, which will encourage families and friends to log on to GoFundMe to make a donation. When you donate to GoFundMe you will receive a receipt with an option to add a comment, and we are asking people to leave a message of support using the hashtag #ArdRiUltra4Nahyan."
Darragh has been running with Navan AC for the past few years.
"I have run two marathons, but this ultra marathon is beyond my comfort zone, but it is nothing when you think of the challenges that Nahyan has been facing and has overcome."
In May last year Nahyan Javed was diagnosed with metastatic neuroblastoma, a very rare and aggressive form of cancer. Since the diagnosis Nahyan has endured chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, surgery, radiation and now he is in the last part of treatment- immunotherapy.
Nahyan’s family and friends need to raise €375,000 so he can access the Bivalent Vaccine trial at MSK Cancer Center, New York. It is the only pediatric tumor vaccine in existence. There is hope - children from Ireland who have accessed the trials are doing very well.