A letter written by the younger sister of a child cancer victim could lead to a unique partnership between the world's leading children's cancer hospital and Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin.
Three consultants at the Republic's National Paediatric Haemology/Oncology centre - Dr Fin Breathnach, Dr Aengus Ó Marcaigh and Dr Owen Smith - visited St Jude's Childrens Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, yesterday to discuss a link between the two hospitals.
St Jude's is a 57-bed hospital with a focus on research. It was set up 40 years ago as a result of the philanthropy of the Lebanese-American comedian, Mr Danny Thomas, who has a special devotion to St Jude.
It operates outside the federal hospital system and is funded entirely by voluntary donations from across the United States.
Marie O Keefe (14), from Co Clare, wrote a letter chronicling the struggle of her older sister, Caroline, with childhood leukaemia. Caroline O Keefe died in February 1999 and her sister, in an appeal for cancer research funding, wrote the moving letter in which she says: "I would like to think that what our family went through will help other people."
Marie's letter was given to Dr Frank Sullivan, a graduate of UCC and director of Maryland Regional Cancer Care.
He approached the board of St Jude's with the letter and the hospital subsequently indicated its willingness to form a partnership with Our Lady's, which led to yesterday's meeting.
St Jude's specialises in what it refers to as "the catastrophic illnesses of childhood".
Most of its patients have cancer, with the remainder suffering from HIV and sickle cell disease.
It does not charge for its services.
The hospital has partner sites in Russia, Latin America and China.
A link with Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children will be its first centre in western Europe.
Dr Sullivan told The Irish Times the partnership would offer opportunities for training and education, staff exchange, fund raising and the development of treatment protocols.
"I feel that this collaboration between a world-renowned paediatric oncology centre and the Republic's national treatment centre offers great promise for both sides."
Dr Owen Smith, consultant paediatric haematologist, said he and his colleagues at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children were on a fact-finding mission and there were "outstanding examples of developing a cancer programmes in St Jude's which we hope we can learn from".