Race helps fund care for Galway man devastated by fall

They say that good friends are hard to come by – but Ollie Burke, a young Galway man who suffered severe head injuries due to a fall nine years ago, is lucky to have some of the best.

Ollie fell from a ladder while carrying out electrical work in 2007 – resulting in an acquired brain injury.

He was left in need of round-the-clock care due to the severity of his injuries and the incapacitation they caused.

As with all medical care, this came at high cost, and the lack of an insurance policy to cover these expenses made life even more difficult for Ollie and those who care for him.

‘Friends of Ollie’ was set up by friends of the former GAA player to help meet the mounting costs and at 3pm on June 11, they will hold their seventh annual ‘Run for Ollie’ in Milltown – all in an effort to ease the heavy financial burden of his daily medical care.

Last year, over 600 people took part in the 10km charity run and organisers are hoping to recreate that same success this year.

Gerard Bowen, a friend of Ollie, explained that they could see the strain being put on the family to cover the €3,000 a month they needed for Ollie’s care.

“Myself and a few friends went over to visit Ollie when he came home to the house, and the family said that things were very tough – so we said amongst ourselves that something had to be done,” said Gerard.

Ollie lives at home with his mother and his brother and requires ongoing rehabilitation – with even simple tasks presenting huge difficulties.

“Unfortunately there was no insurance in place to fund Ollie’s care so we need to raise money to look after him. He needs 24 hour supervision and has difficulty doing ordinary tasks.

“He recognises his family but can’t communicate how he feels. Ollie is blind in one eye and has limited use of his left hand. He can walk which is great but he’s unable to leave the house unaccompanied. He has also developed serious epilepsy and is prone to regular seizures.

“It simply goes without saying that we, and Ollie’s family, need all the help we can get,” said Gerard.

‘Friends of Ollie’ is calling on all athletes, runners and walkers to come to Milltown on the day and support this very worthy cause.

Gerard said that the support that they receive from the, community and further afield, is hugely appreciated and makes what is a very difficult situation just a little more manageable.

“We are very fortunate that this has gone so well; seven years on, we hope that we can keep up that support.

“As long as we can keep the numbers up, we can maintain his care – and this really is our only option,” said Gerard.

The event is sponsored this year by Health West Pharmacy and the first 100 participants to register will receive a free care pack – courtesy of the pharmacy.

Entry to the run costs €25 with every cent going towards Ollie’s care. Participants can register at runireland.com or visit friendsofollie.com for more information.