Laura Crossan

CHARITY EVENT

This Saturday 23rd May in Corduff /Raferagh Community Centre there will be another fundraising event in aid of Laura Crossan, starting at 4pm. There will be a tractor run at 5pm, played out by the Corduff Pipe Band. Childrens’ disco and fun events including face painting and rodeo bull  5.30pm to 7.30pm. Armageddon will play in the marquee from 6pm to 8pm. Head shave, waxing and dye at 8pm, to include Laura’s father Jonathan, brother Dylan, uncles Donal, Declan, Noel, Gregory, Joseph, Nial and granda Joe. Laura’s cousins and many others will be there in support.

Entertainment in the Mountain Dew by Yesteryear. It promises to be a fun-filled evening for all and hopefully Laura can join in the evening fun.

The Crossan family would like to thank everyone for their prayers, cards and good wishes. The kindness shown to us through this whole nightmare really helps us each day and week, Laura’s father said.

LAURA CROSSAN GETS HER MEDICAL CARD

Michael Fisher  Northern Standard  Thursday 21st May

Laura Crossan from Carrickmacross is battling against a rare form of cancer. The 9 year-old is a pupil at Bunscoil Lughaidh Naofa, and was diagnosed in January as having Ewing’s sarcoma, in which cancer cells are found in the bone or in soft tissue. Only two or three children in Ireland are found to have the condition every year.

Her father Jonathan contacted the RTÉ Radio Joe Duffy show recently and explained how he had been unable to get a medical card for Laura. He highlighted what parents in his position were put through at what could be the lowest time in their lives. The following day the HSE provided a card for his daughter and for the rest of the family.

Mr Crossan told the Northern Standard it was truly a shame that a 9 year-old child with cancer had to wait five months in order to receive a medical card. He also said he greatly appreciated the support the local community had shown in attending various fundraising events.

Laura is the second child of Jonathan and Sinead Crossan. She has an older brother Dylan and two younger sisters, Codie and Georgia. Laura’s condition was discovered after her parents became worried about a mark on her leg they thought had been caused by a bee sting before Christmas. Since then she has been in the care of the medical team at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin in Dublin.

Mr Crossan explained how their lives were changed for ever on January 23rd. “On a cold Friday evening at 4.30pm we were told our lovely Laura had Ewing’s sarcoma a rare form of cancer in her leg. The little lump on the bottom of her leg looked like a swelling from a sting and was not giving her any trouble. To say the least, it has turned our lives upside down and now cancer is in our lives. Our gorgeous wee woman now has a battle on her hands”.

“Laura is out of school for the year and battling chemo, which she receives every 21 days in Crumlin She gets four different chemotherapy treatments each day for three days and it is really hard on the wee woman. It changes her completely for the time she is on it”, he explained.

Mr Crossan said the only people Laura will let stay with her are himself, his wife, her grandmother Teesie and her uncle Declan. She has just finished her fifth chemo session and like all previous ones is now back in Cavan hospital getting new blood platelets and fighting an internal infection.

He says the staff  in Cavan general hospital have taken to Laura and she really loves them. “Myself and Sinead would like to thank them from the bottom of our hearts for the care and love they have shown our wee woman”, he said. “Family life has certainly changed for us all: Dylan aged 14 is at the High School in Carrick; 6 year-old Codie is in Bunscoil Lughaidh Naiofa and the youngest, Georgia (4) is in playschool. They are all in a new routine, being passed from pillar to post while Dad and Mum look after Laura in hospital”.

Laura has nine more chemotherapy sessions ahead of her so will spend most of the year in Crumlin and Cavan hospitals.