A fundraiser for an Irish dad, who received a devastating diagnosis of motor neurone disease and frontotemporal dementia, has raised €100k raised in a week.
Kieran O'Shea, 47, from Limerick, was told he had the life-limiting disease that would cause deterioration in his "behaviour, personality and memory".
The father-of-three lives in Lisnagry with his wife Colette and three children under the age of 12, with their eldest son also living with complex Crohn's disease.
READ MORE: 'We buried our beautiful sons' - Irish couple's heartbreak after death of identical twins
Kieran's wife Colette recently won Carer of the Year at the Netwatch Family Carer of the Year Awards held in the Westin Hotel in Dublin last week.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, she said: "I love my family and I don't see myself doing anything exceptional...
"I'm a very positive person. I always kind of think maybe things will improve for us. I know with Kieran nothing can, but I'm hoping that things will get better."
However, since Kieran's diagnosis the O'Shea family have encountered "significant financial distress" as a result of his illness.
As his condition deteriorates, the family need to adapt their home to suit Kieran's new and changing medical needs.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by friends looking to raise €300,000 for the O'Shea family to fund the building work.
The page reads: "Kieran O'Shea received a diagnosis of motorneurone disease and frontotemporal dementia. It's a devastating life-limiting disease, and when coupled with dementia it causes deterioration in a person's behaviour, personality and memory.
"Kieran lives with his wife Colette and their three children, aged 11, 10 and 8 years, in Lisnagry, Co. Limerick. Kieran's 11 Yr old son also struggles with significant health complications.
"The family has encountered significant financial distress due to Kieran's illness, and the family home needs to be adapted to suit Kieran's deteriorating health.
"With the family's agreement, we have set up this fundraising page to help Kieran and his family with the significant construction costs involved."
The fundraiser has now reached a third of the goal, as people have generously donated €100,278 in one week.
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