Connacht Tribune
Brave 12-year-old diabetic runs 10k in blazing sunshine for charity
A brave twelve-year-old from Oranmore went public with his diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes in the most positive way last, when he undertook a 10k run – raising more than €2,400 for Diabetes Ireland in the process.
Daragh Mill from Oranhill was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes four years ago, and while his family and some close friends knew of his condition, he decided it was time to let the rest of the world know about what makes him special.
On Friday night last week, he decided he was going to do a 10k run the following Sunday afternoon, which turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year, something that generated its own problems on the day.
“He had decided to start the run at 1.30pm, but when we checked his blood sugar levels at 12.50pm, they were a little low, so we had to give him a banana.
“That might not sound much to most people, but a full banana is quite a lot of carbohydrates for a young person with diabetes. The fact he was going to do a 10k run, we felt he needed the full banana – these are the kind of things you need to think about with a child with diabetes, you have to think about every piece of food he or she eats,” his mother Deborah told the Connacht Tribune.
His blood sugar levels returned to a steady level, so at 1.30pm, he set off from his house at Oranhill on his fundraising run.
His route took him from his house through the village to Oranmore Train Station, where he turned back, through the village again, and out the Maree Road, past Oranhill, heading towards Rinville park, where his run ended at Rinville Pier.
He ran the route in a brilliant time of 52 minutes, and had plenty of company along the way. His brother, Dan, and older brother, Ryan, cycled the route in case anyone needed assistance; while brothers, Shane, Matthew, and Tristan Furey started the run with him, with Shane and Matthew also completing the 10k. Two other friends, Niall De Paor and Fionn Fahy, joined him for the final 4k from the entrance at Oranhill to the pier.
“His friends have been great,” Deborah says, “as soon as they heard what he was planning, they got on board. He only decided on Friday night to do the run on Sunday, and the responses was great.
“The GAA club put it up on social media and people started donating straight away – we don’t know a lot of the names, and others are anonymous donors, it has really touched us and we ar so grateful to everyone.
“We let the neighbours know as well, just out of respect, as there would be a few young people gathered and they came out in force, lining the road to cheer him along – it means so much to us, and especially Daragh,” Deborah explains.
Daragh wanted to do the run to raise awareness of diabetes, and more importantly to let people know that a diabetes diagnosis does not have to hold them back.
“I wanted to let people know that it’s okay to have diabetes. It is hard, sometimes I get annoyed, get angry, that I have it, but it doesn’t mean I can’t do things.
“There are a few things I’d like people to know. Type 1 Diabetes, which I have, is an auto-immune condition, it is in your genes, so there is nothing you can do about it. Your hair colour, your height, things about you – that is your genes, and it is the same with Type 1 diabetes.
“If people have Type 1 Diabetes, it won’t stop you doing anything. I don’t have any real disadvantage, just have to look after myself a bit more, take insulin when I eat, but you get used to it, you get on with it,” he explains.
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Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
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The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
