Sporting legends Pat Spillane, Dave Kilcoyne, Cora Staunton and Shay Given joined renowned broadcaster Darragh Maloney to help raise over €100,000 for Cappagh Hospital Foundation at the CHF Annual Sports Lunch. This year’s event at The Intercontinental Hotel welcomed over 400 guests for an entertaining sports panel discussion, charity auction, and raffle. Guest MC and Auctioneer Sophie Colgan of the Lydia Fenet Agency of Charity Auctioneers in NYC played a pivotal role in ensuring the event’s success, guiding proceedings, engaging the audience, and encouraging enthusiastic auction bidding and raffle sales. Speaking at the event, 74-year-old John Purcell from Ashbourne, Co Meath described the life-changing impact of the surgery he received at NOHC. John, who was born with a rare genetic condition, Trismus-pseudo camptodactyly syndrome, causing a claw deformity of both hands, was moved to tears describing how the operation had changed his life, giving him ‘new hands’. Thanks to the pioneering surgery by NOHC Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon Ms Grainne Colgan, John can now shave, shake hands and high-five his grandchildren. This life-transforming surgery was the first ever undertaken anywhere in the world. ‘‘As a leader in orthopaedic medicine, demand for the Hospital’s services is continuing to grow” said Angela Lee, CEO of NOHC. “Research, training and education are paramount to upholding world-class outcomes for our patients. We are very grateful to the CHF and its supporters who have contributed so much to the Hospital over the years. Their support provided funding for research and for essential equipment, which has greatly enhanced the Hospital’s surgical and diagnostic capabilities, leading to better outcomes for our patients”. Commenting on this year’s Sports Lunch fundraiser, Annmarie Sweeney, Executive Director of Cappagh Hospital Foundation, ‘On behalf of our chair Sean O Neill and voluntary board, we are so grateful to our panel of sporting legends, broadcaster Darragh Maloney, and our generous sponsors Mortar & More, Sensori and UPMC, contributors and guests for making this year’s lunch a huge success. The NOHC will use all funds raised through the lunch to continue to improve the lives of more patients like John Purcell’ The Sports Lunch event which was originally created and nurtured by Professor Stephen Eustace, NOHC, since 2011, has evolved into a significant fundraising event for the Foundation each year. Board member and Head of the Organising Committee Dr. Niamh Long, Consultant Radiologist at the NOHC took on the role with enthusiasm and dedication. It is hoped that the Annual Sports Lunch is poised to reach new heights, continuing to play a vital role in supporting the Foundation’s funding ambitions.
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