A FUNDRAISING ball is to be held in Cork later this month for the benefit of a one-year-old child with a rare form of brain cancer.
Former Irish soccer international John Aldridge and Cork senior hurling captain John Gardiner will be the special guests at the Cork Sportsperson’s Ball, set for the Radisson Hotel, Little Island, on July 17th, when sports memorabilia will be auctioned off in aid of Holly O’Keeffe, who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.
Holly suffers from neuroblastoma, a highly aggressive form of cancer that attacks the nervous system. Some forms of this cancer can be treated by operation alone, but often the cancer has spread to the bone and bone marrow by the time it is discovered. Holly was found to have three tumours – one behind her eye socket, one under the cheekbone and the largest, the size of a grapefruit, on her kidney.
Her chances of survival are rated at one-in-three and she is undergoing chemotherapy treatments every 10 days. Her parents, Martin and Mary, spend most of their time travelling with Holly up and down to Crumlin from their home in Tower, Co Cork.
The local community in Tower has responded by organising a number of fundraising activities.
Organisers of the ball are targeting a 400-strong attendance, with each ticket costing €50. For further information, contact the Holly Fund on 086-8453793. Donations are accepted online at www.thehollyfund.com