€20m boost needed to help Limerick's sickest children 

THE CEO of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin charity group has said that more funds are needed to help some of the sickest children in the country, including some-1,000 Limerick patients who attend the hospital every year.

At the launch of the charity CMRF Crumlin’s annual report, it said that €20m was needed over the next two years to continue supporting sick children at the Dublin hospital.

It is also needed to invest in research for “more transformative treatments and cures” at the National Children’s Research Centre, CEO Lisa-Nicole Dunne said.

A total of 1,012 children from Limerick were treated in the outpatients department at Crumlin Hospital, while 2% of all inpatients were from Limerick.

She said that the launch was “about recognising all the incredible support we receive from thousands of donors, volunteers, and partners, right across Ireland and the impact we can therefore make for sick children and their families at traumatic times.

“But with statistics like one in 100 children born with a structural heart defect in Ireland, 5,000 children in Ireland estimated to have juvenile arthritis, one in 19 in Ireland carrying the Cystic Fibrosis gene, there is a lot more to do and we cannot stop now.  Sick children simply cannot wait.”

CMRF Crumlin has raised €15m between 2016 and March 2017, thanks to public, voluntary and corporate donations. €8m of this fund was raised by CMRF to fund sick children across the country.

A total of €4.3m has been invested in paediatric research at the National Children’s Research Centre to help pioneering projects in Crumlin, the annual report stated.