‘Jersey Shore' event aims to bring baby Clayton home

IT is the heartfelt wish of a West Cork couple is to bring their son home – for the first time – on the occasion of his second birthday.

Baby Clayton O’Donovan of Reenascreena, Rosscarbery – who has been in hospital since September 9th 2014, the day he was born – has yet to spend a day at home with his parents, Ashlene and Gearoid and his siblings, Sorcha and Caleb.

Clayton’s twin brother, Kyle, had also been in hospital, but was discharged and went home to live with his family for a few precious weeks before having to be rushed back to Crumlin Hospital, where he died in November 2014.

The Rosscarbery Ladies Football Club have come on board in a bid to help the family achieve their dream of bringing Clayton home for his second birthday by donating the proceeds from their annual Jersey Shore 5km fundraising walk, which will start at 6.30pm at the Ardagh Clubhouse in Rosscarbery on July 15th next.

The simple premise of the fundraiser is that walkers are asked to wear their favourite, unique, unusual, colourful or oldest jersey and complete the 5km walk along the shore at Rosscarbery, and make a donation.

Club chairperson, Adrian Roycroft, said: ‘This year we have decided to share the proceeds with Clayton,’ a brave little child who spent the first part of his life in Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin and is now at Cork University Hospital in Cork, where he is receiving 24-hour care.

Ashlene and Gearoid don’t know what the future holds for Clayton, but they are trying hard to bring him home before his second birthday so he can spend as much valuable time as possible with his family.

A trust fund has recently been set up for Clayton in the Bank of Ireland, Clonakilty. In the meantime, contributions, via Rosscarbery Ladies Football Club, can be made by contacting Mags on 087 9263693.