A local mother of two little boys is fighting for her life and both sides of her extended family have joined forces and launched an appeal through a ‘gofundme’ page to help pay for the new direction her treatment is taking her.
At the time of going to press the initiative has raised €36,318 from donations made by 384 people on day one. The total needed is €120,000.
Living in Castleisland
Miriam Joy is a 32 year old mom of two from Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick. She is married to Pat Fitzgerald from Castleisland where they live with their two boys Noah (10) and Joshua (5).
They both graduated as primary teachers from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick where they first met.
Miriam teaches in Dromtrasna National School in Abbeyfeale. Pat teaches in Cullina National School in Beaufort, Killarney.
Close Family
Miriam and Pat are very fortunate to be surrounded by a close and loving family. Miriam’s parents James and Bridget Joy live in Abbeyfeale, while siblings Raechel, Eoin and Damien are all close by. John and Karen Fitzgerald are Pat’s parents who live in Castleisland, close to his four sisters Lorraine, Sarah, Aoileann and Úna.
Rocked by Diagnosis
In May 2017, Miriam’s world was rocked when she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. Her story since then has involved a range of treatments including two surgeries, multiple rounds of fortnightly and weekly chemotherapy and daily radiotherapy. Unfortunately, these treatments have not been successful and this extremely aggressive form of breast cancer has now spread to her brain and her lungs.
New Treatment Option
The only option for Miriam is a change of direction with her treatment. Immunotherapy is a new treatment option that her oncologists have agreed is her best hope. It is however very costly in this country. Sadly, right now the only way for Miriam to access it is by paying for it privately herself. This will cost a staggering €7000 every three weeks for an indefinite length of time.
A Devastating Effect
Cancer has changed Miriam’s life drastically. It has had a devastating effect on this young couple and their family. While they have an extensive and supportive network of family and friends, with this gofundme page we hope to reach beyond this to an extended community for your support. Our goal is to raise the funds needed to access this potentially life-saving treatment needed to continue this next stage of Miriam’s treatment.
Sharing Her Story
“The turbulent course of her treatment has led her to this point where she feels she must now share her story. All of this is for one reason only and that is to be able to live happily and healthily with her husband and two boys.
“We would all be extremely grateful for any donation you could make to help Miriam, Pat, Noah and Joshua – no matter how small,” according to a joint statement from the the Joy and Fitzgerald families.
To make a donation please click on the link here and follow the instructions. https://www.gofundme.com/miriam-joy-cancer-fund
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