Heartbroken mum to tackle marathon to help her son
The Meath family has appealed for the public's help
A Leinster mum will be taking part in a marathon to support her son, who was diagnosed with a rare condition.
Zoe Brangan will be taking part in the Women's mini marathon in Dublin, in a bid to raise funds for her little boy, Darragh.
Over a year ago, Darragh was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the age of 18 months, a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness due to the alterations of a protein that helps keep muscle cells intact.
"We really didn’t see it coming, and our hearts have been broken in a way we didn’t know possible. DMD is a degenerative muscle wasting condition, and while we live in hope, presently there is no cure. Darragh has severe muscle weakness which will progress, and as we watch our son achieve all his milestones a little later than most, we will likely have to watch as he loses them too," the family said.
With that in mind, the family want to achieve some things in the next year and have appealed for the public's help to do so.
"We want to create a home suitable for Darragh’s changing needs and give him a space where he is not limited by his surroundings. A home that he can get around with ease and be just like his two sisters Ellie and Katie. We want to see that infectious smile creep onto his little face by bringing him away on a little holiday later this year. We want to watch him potter around on his feet, and soak in the memories of him walking and standing beside us and the girls. And lastly, we want to provide support for other families who have received the same diagnosis as Darragh. Financial support in the early days of diagnosis is invaluable, whether It's to bring the family on a trip or afford the parents some time together to go for a meal or in our case buy and build multiple pieces of flat pack furniture," they explained.
You can donate to the fundraiser here.
"Life has a different meaning for us since Darragh was diagnosed. We wish we could take this one for him, all we want is for our boy to be happy and have the same life experience as his sisters and peers. They say it’s an ill wind that blows no good, but I have to say we are struggling to see the good in this one!"