Ratoath mum for the sky jump in aid of great cause

A FEARLESS Ratoath mum is preparing to celebrate her birthday later this month by jumping out of a plane to raise funds for a support group for young people with autism that allows children to feel like “they are not alone.”

Una Curran is taking on a parachute jump as a way of giving back to Little Seeds Arch Club, a social outlet for children and young people with autism in Meath.

Una, a wellbeing teacher and former primary school teacher, has seen first-hand, the difference the charity makes to the lives of children with additional needs with fifteen-year-old daughter Méabh a keen member. Speaking about the club she said:

“My eldest who is 15 is part of the girl’s teenage group and Ger Kenny set up the group nine years ago originally for her own son with another mum to give the children with autism a social club.

“Over the nine years Little Seeds has grown from a group of six to sixty-five including six-year-olds right up to 22 year olds. They might be doing cooking or have an OT in to do a P.E session but it’s working on coordination and even throughout lockdown Ger kept Little Seeds going online, there was a baking club, a comedy competition she really kept that interaction with the children.

“I said I’d always love to do a parachute jump so when I saw Ger looking for volunteers I thought it would be a nice way to say thanks to her for everything. I’m more worried about the landing than the jumping!”

Una says that through her work as a teacher she is recognised signs in Méabh, a soon to be 5th year student in Dunshaughlin Community College from a young age and received an official diagnosis when she was seven.

“When Méabh was about 18 months I was telling the public health nurse in London where we were living at the time that that her hearing was too sensitive, but I was told that there was nothing to worry about. Because I was a primary school teacher in London I worked with a lot of children with additional needs and I thought am I looking for it because I know the signs.

“As time went on I thought no there are too many boxes she is ticking and I’d rather know so I can put the right things in place going forward to support her. We went for a private assessment, and it came back that it was mild Asperger’s the high functioning end.

“From then you are able to go and look for occupational therapy, you are able to make teachers aware.”