Joseph is a happy, intelligent, kind and caring 9 year old boy. He is in third class in St Comans Wood Primary School in Roscommon. He loves all things sports especially Gaelic and hurling with his beloved club Roscommon Gaels. He also enjoys soccer with Roscommon Town FC. He is an avid supporter of Roscommon Gaa and also Liverpool FC. Joseph and his twin brother Cillian have a bond like no other and spend all day every day together.
Our world was turned upside down in September 2021 in the midst of a global pandemic when Joseph was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma at the age of 7.
All the sports and activities he loved were no longer an option for him and instead numerous hospital trips and gruelling treatments became the norm. He couldn’t go to school and missed all his friends so much. We as his parents were devastated to watch our little boy endure so much pain and suffering. Time with his brother Cillian was greatly reduced and for the first time in his life the two boys were on different paths but their bond has remained as strong as ever.
To date Joseph has endured surgery to remove the tumour and his adrenal gland, insertion of a central line in his chest, 6 months of Chemotherapy, daily injections, high dose Chemotherapy followed by two stem cell transplants which included 9 weeks in isolation, 14 rounds of Radiotherapy, 4 of 5 Immunotherapy, multiple bone marrow aspirates and blood transfusions not forgetting countless hospital admissions, numerous scans, insertion of a feeding tube and daily medication.
His bravery and cool character has been nothing short of amazing and he continues to inspire us and make us so proud every day.
Joseph has responded well to treatment so far and is now nearing the end of his frontline treatment in Crumlin Hospital. The treatment and care he has received in Crumlin and his local hospital Portiuncula has been exceptional and we are forever grateful to everyone who has helped Joseph get this far.
The next stage in Joseph’s journey is a clinical trial to prevent his cancer returning. The bivalent vaccine works by targeting two proteins found on neuroblastoma cells: GD2L and GD3L. It is the only paediatric tumour vaccine in existence and this is where we are heading for now. The trial is based in Sloan Kettering Cancer centre in New York.
The Gavin Glynn Foundation have stepped in to help with our travel to NY and have arranged the flights/transport, living expenses and an apartment in NY close to the hospital for our stay.
#TeamGavinGlynn
