Toddler’s family back £2m kids’ scanner plea

Toddler’s family back £2m kids’ scanner plea

25 July 2012 - by Joanne Fleming

A DOWNPATRICK family has appealed for local people to support a fundraising initiative in memory of their 18 month-old toddler, who tragically died in May after a lengthy period in hospital.

The Cullen family has thanked all those who have expressed sympathy since little Olivia passed away — but now hope to transform some of the good wishes into practical help.

Details of their fundraising golf tournament on August 31 have now been finalised and the Cullen and Teggart families are asking local businesses to help through sponsorship or by donating prizes to a prize draw.

Olivia had a rare chromosomal condition (HMG-CoA synthase deficiency), which meant her body did not respond as it should when she contracted the norovirus last Christmas, instead going into a metabolic crisis.

Taken to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children the toddler sadly never made it home. It is the only hospital of its kind in the UK or Ireland without it’s own children’s MRI scanner, and during her stay Olivia faced long delays waiting to be transferred across to the adult hospital for the use of its scanner.

And while quicker scans would sadly not have saved Olivia, it would have lessened the family’s trauma. Repeated cancellations can result in more invasive procedures being carried out and some children even having to travel outside Northern Ireland.

So far the family has raised £4,000 for the Children’s Heartbeat Trust, which is one of several trying to raise the £2m needed for the Children’s MRI Scanner Appeal.

“We are trying to detail specifically how people can help,” said Olivia’s mum Emma, who acknowledged things were a “bit harder” since she last spoke to the Down Recorder.

“We’re not doing too bad,” she said. “There are good days and bad days.

“You’re doing well and then all of a sudden it just hits home.

“We were so busy with everything, then all of a sudden everything stopped. It was hard for about three or four weeks after that.”

Now refocused on their forthcoming charity golf event, Emma said they were “feeling a whole lot better”.

Despite the MRI Scanner Appeal being funded entirely through public donations, Emma said they were annoyed the Trust had yet to fully approve the business plan for the children’s scanner.

“It is a very, very complex process,” she said. “There are a lot of logistics and it is not as easy as you think. Anna Lo MP was in touch about it and we are now pushing to get this moving along.”

Emma said she realised it was still difficult economically for many businesses but hoped as many as possible would come on board with the event.

A range of sponsorship opportunities will be available at The Olivia Cullen Memorial Tournament at Downpatrick Golf Club on August 31. Basic sponsorship is available from £40 and sponsorship with selected Tee Time available from £50. Tee boxes will have only one sponsor and will be allocated through a blind bidding system. Each business will be permitted three attempts to bid on selected holes of their choice and successful businesses will be informed two weeks in advance of the tournament. Ballot tickets will be sold before the golf tournament and the family would welcome any prizes from local businesses. The draw will take place following the presentation of prizes in Downpatrick Golf Club.

Contact Ryan Teggart (07849 633681), Daniel Teggart (07783 553636) or Philip Cullen (07846 170305) for details of how to sponsor, donate or take part in the event.