Noísiu turned 3 on 6th March this year and is a big brother to his siblings, Oisín and Siún. He is a thoughtful, energetic and fun-loving boy who is curious about anything and everything. He loves to learn and shows an understanding of things far beyond his years. He is also charismatic and loves to entertain his “visitors” with dancing, games and imaginative play. He loves to play with cars and dinosaurs and, above all else, he loves to run endlessly.

In late November 2019, Noísiu developed what we believed (and were told at the time) was a viral infection. He was very pale and had bouts of constipation and diarrhoea. His sickness, however, persisted for 2 weeks and numerous visits to the doctor brought little change in his condition. In desperate need of relief and answers, we brought Noísiu to a&e in UHK where an ultrasound ultimately confirmed our worst nightmares: a tumour, which, we later learned was a rare RMS on his prostate.

Since December, Noísiu has undergone numerous procedures and regular chemotherapy in Our Lady’s Hospital Crumlin. We are in awe of the strength, courage and determination Noísiu is showing throughout his illness.

After 7 cycles of treatment, and, thankfully, there has been a significant reduction in his tumour (over 91%); however, it was determined that he is not a suitable candidate for surgery or brachytherapy and so was referred instead for proton therapy in Essen, Germany.

However, his admission was put in jeopardy just days before we were due to fly out due to covid-19 pandemic and the resulting imposition of a ban on international referrals by the German authorities. Of course, we, as his parents, could not accept no as an answer and with the help of some key people, including John Glynn (The Gavin Glynn Foundation), we were able to ensure that Noísiu would get this vital treatment after all.

Indeed, thanks to the support of The Gavin Glynn Foundation, Noísiu can now get the best possible care and we as a family, his parents and siblings can be here with him to help create a home away from home. To have the support of The Gavin Glynn Foundation means we do not need to worry about anything else and, instead, can give all our attention and energy to helping Noísiu overcome his illness.