Limerick family fundraise for charity who ‘took over’ when son died on holidays

“WE HAD no clue what to do when we received the news that Kevin had never woken up,” recalled Limerick's Amanda Hogan.

Her eldest son Kevin, 28, was on holiday with friends in Albufeira, Portugal when he died in April this year.

Kevin is the father of his own daughter Aoibheann, who is eight-years-old.

Kevin’s parents Amanda and John and his four siblings, Claire, Ciara, Sarah and Mark, as well as Kevin’s daughter and other family and friends are now raising money for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust (KBRT), in his memory.

Amanda described the organisation as being “absolutely fantastic” to the Hogan family, having received the news that Kevin had passed away in his sleep while abroad.

“They [KBRT] completely took over once we contacted them - they took Kevin’s name and took over, because we hadn’t a clue what to do,” Amanda explained.

“People aren’t aware of the Trust and so many people need them to bring their loved ones home.

“The Bell family set up the organisation because their own son, Kevin Bell, died when he was in America in 2013.”

The Hogan family are doing an accumulation of local fundraisers, including a GoFundMe page which has reached its goal of €2k, Facebook lottery draws, school jersey days in Scoil Chriost Rí Boys NS and Naíonra na nÓg, as well as a bingo night.

The family are hoping to gather all funds and present the total to those behind KBRT in Belfast later this month.

They are also taking part in the Cook Medical Mini Marathon this Sunday October 8 as a family, in memory of Kevin.

New service to reduce Limerick emergency wait times

“We want to raise as much as we can for the Bell Trust and deliver the funds we have raised over time personally to them, at the end of October.

“I would love to meet them and look forward to it,” Amanda said.

“Kevin was such an outgoing person and loved sport, especially in his younger years when he played hurling for Na Piarsaigh and soccer with Ballynanty Rovers.

“We lived in Woodview until Kevin was 18 and then moved to Caherdavin - he went to Ardscoil Rís.”

While Kevin has been laid to rest, the full autopsy reports have not yet been sent to the family, with the cause of death at the time being given as a ‘diabetic coma’.

Kevin did not have diabetes.

Six members of the Hogan family now plan to run and walk Sunday's Cook Medical Mini Marathon.

They had T-shirts specifically made with Kevin’s picture and the words ‘in memory of Kevin Hogan’ on the front.

As well as this, the back of the family’s T-shirts have ‘Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust’, highlighting the charity close to their hearts.

“We got the news from a friend of Kevin’s on April 14 that he had passed.

“I just feel that it is great to give back to a charity [KBRT] who does so much for others, when they need it most.”
Sunday's Cook Medical Mini Marathon begins in the University of Limerick (UL) at the Sports Arena, at 12pm midday.

Participants of all ages will run, jog and walk 5km and 10km routes around Castletroy and the UL campus.