More than €50,000 has been raised within three days for the family of a father-of-six who died less than a fortnight after his son’s birth.
Baby Joseph Murphy was born on Sunday, July 28.
His parents Trish and Mick, along with their five other children James 16, Eoin 12, Michael, 11, Patrick 9, and Mary, 18 months, were thrilled with the arrival of the latest addition of the family.
The following day, Mick, 43, from The Rower in Co Kilkenny, was due to collect Trish and baby Joseph, but she could not contact him.
When Trish checked with her children they told her that there was something wrong with their dad, who wouldn’t respond to them. An ambulance was called to the family home in Ballinabarna, by Castlecomer in the county.
Trish and baby Joseph arrived home to find Mick unconscious and paramedics working on her husband.
He was rushed to St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny and later that evening to Beaumont Hospital Dublin, where he was operated on.
Trish’s family and friends rallied round to help her make the daily 235km round trip from home to the capital - and to care for her young family.
Doctors told the family Mick suffered a bleed to his brain.
Mick was sedated for the next few days and stabilised. The sedation was then reduced and everyone waited for Mick to wake up.
On August 9, the hospital rang for the family to come as soon as possible, as Mick had taken a turn.
Trish, who had just come home from Dublin and was in bed exhausted, made the difficult trip back to the hospital along with her sister Catherine and her brother-in-law Enda.
She was later told that Mick had passed away.
Members of The Rower/Inistioge GAA Club organised a fundraiser on Facebook, which began last Tuesday.
Within hours, thousands had been raised and over the following three days, €50,800 was collected.
Trish said: “It’s amazing! But in a way I’m not surprised with him. He’s probably up there laughing, working his magic. I’d say he’s having a field day.”
Describing her husband - who ran his own business - as the most generous man you could meet, she said he wouldn’t think twice about putting €50 in the collection at Mass or €10 on a candle at the local church if he didn’t have change.
“I met a neighbour in the credit union the other day who said Mick got his two chaps a job.
“He kept food on the tables for so many people. He didn’t even realise the extent of exactly what he did for people.”
Trish said the hard reality of life after Mick is only starting to dawn on her, including the financial implications.
“There is nothing straightforward, but we will get through it.
“I just want to thank everybody. It’s amazing the gratitude. I have never seen anything like this support. The house is full of food and people are volunteering to mind the children. Nothing is a problem for anyone,” the Co Tipperary woman said.
She thanked Rower PP Fr Ray Dempsey for his ‘absolutely amazing’ support, adding that her friends and family are helping mind the children, giving her time to get some rest and a little time to grieve.
“You are there grieving and miserable on the one hand and just when you are about to fall down someone calls to the door and you’re lifted up again.
“People have the biggest hearts. You really don’t see it until something like this happens. With grief there are such blessings that come as well. It goes hand in hand in life: suffering and goodness and I am on the flipside of both of it.”
She said Joseph is thriving, adding that he has his father’s black hair.
People can still donate to the following fundraiser account: BIC IPBSIE2D, IBAN IE70IPBS99063728899944
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