Racing moves to help Ashleigh

DERMOT Doheny, a keen racing and rugby man from Limerick, has been in touch with an important update regarding a fundraising campaign for a young girl from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, named Ashleigh Prout.

The Irish Field published details of Dermot and friends’ fund-raising activities earlier this year and they were delighted with the response from readers.

Ashleigh is a 14-year-old girl from Clonmel, Co Tipperary and since birth has been suffering from a severe condition called Neurofibramastosis.

Ashleigh suffered from a stroke in 2018, aged 11, and following an MRI scan in Portland Hospital in London, it was discovered that Ashleigh also has up to five brain tumours, one of which is positioned on her optic nerve causing irreversible blindness.

Ashleigh really needs help. To enable her to receive the medical treatments and operations she urgently requires, Ashleigh’s family have to raise €100,000 to hopefully ensure their little girl is given a chance to live a long happy and healthy life.

Kelleway helps

Dermot continues: “We have held a few fundraisers including raffles. As well as the GoFundMe page, there is also now an iDonate page set up. Recently I was contacted by Gay Kelleway, trainer in the UK, who kindly gave a 10% share in a racehorse in training with her, to use as a star raffle prize. Other prizes include a round of golf for four at Clonmel golf course, and lovely hampers of wine and sweets.

“We have set up a raffle on the iDonate page to try raise as much as possible towards Ashleigh’s fund. Family and friends are so grateful for all help received.”

See: idonate.ie/raffle/12692_ashleigh-prout-medical-fund-raffle

Check out social media at #InaidofAshleigh to see what you can do to help or call Dermot Doheny on 085 7250422.

Every cent counts for the IHWT’s charges

THE Irish Horse Welfare Trust (IHWT) has come up with a new and easy way to donate your spare change to IHWT. ‘Change Donations’ makes is easy to round up your digital change to support them. Signing up is free and easy. Just click on the link, link your payment card authorise your bank to start giving a little each time you make a purchase.

Next time you pay €2.70 for a cup of coffee, you will donate 30c directly to IHWT and the more people who sign up, the bigger the difference will be. Any excuse to spend big!

With up to 70 equines in care and reduced fund raising possible, the IHWT is asking people to support by signing up.

You can set your round up limits and even the smallest amount of your change donations will be appreciated and will enable us to continue to help horses and ponies in desperate need.

More information is at info@ihwt.ie. See: bit.ly/3s4hWfv.

GREAT to hear that Pat Smullen’s memoir will be published in November by Gill Books. Entitled Champion, the book was written by Pat with the help of Donn McClean. Pat’s wife Frances tweeted this week: “Pat really enjoyed working on his memoir with Donn during the last year of his life and it was an honour to help complete it. I can hear his voice in the pages.”

The book can be pre-ordered through Bookstation and Eason now.