Nicole Cahill says "Thank You"
Nicole Cahill a daughter of Post 31 member Bill Cahill and his wife Mairead was 6 years of age when she got a viral infection. Up to then she had been a happy go lucky girl who loved running around and playing as any girl her age would do. However the infection caused swelling of the brain which in turn caused muscular damage to one of her hips and rendered her unable to walk. Nicole faced being confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
Her parents refused to take this as the end scenario for their daughter and after seeing Nicole effectively abandoned as she was by the health service they started out fund raising to get Nicole ground breaking surgery in the Beth Israel Hospital in Manahtten, New York which took place in 2008. IUNVA were one of the more active groups in supporting them, and many Posts sold tickets and our National Executive also donated to the fund. The surgery was expensive, time consuming and ongoing and Nicole was in hospital for nearly 6 months. It required the muscles in her hips being cut into and operated upon and surgeons switching her active muscle in her left hip with the affected one in her right.
But in March 2009, Nicole is pictured below aged 11 years with her dad, Bill after the St. Patricks Days Parade in Enniscorthy to say THANK YOU , to all who supported her and sold tickets or donated. She now can walk with the support of a walking aid, and with further intensive physio will walk unaided in the future.
A brave Nicole stands alongside her father Bill Cahill (Post 31) to say Thank you to all of you.
Nicole gives a "Thumbs up" to IUNVA Posts who supported her in her fight to walk again.
Nicole has many more days of phsyio but her infectious smile and indominatable attitude makes her our Angel here. For all you have done in supporting her, we here at Post 31 also thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
