Community rallies round courageous Charlie
A 24-year-old Castlebar man is ‘blown away’ by the phenomenal response he is receiving to a gofundme appeal he launched to help him undertake life-changing surgery.
Just four days after the appeal was first posted to social media by Charlie Gannon, it had raised €172,000 of its €250,000 target. This morning (Friday) and it's pushed on some more, with €215,000 raised.
“There has been a remarkable display of generosity within such a short time and I am so thankful,” Charlie told The Connaught Telegraph.
Golf enthusiast Charlie, who plays regularly at Castlebar Golf Club, revealed that having lost a leg and an arm after contracting meningitis in 2008 at the age of 11, he is now facing the reality of having his other leg amputated.
Consequently, it will involve considerable medical expenses.
In his gofundme page entitled “Future For Charlie”, he explained that since 2008, life has been full of challenges, countless operations and comebacks.
He stated: “Unfortunately for me and despite all of our efforts, the challenges continue. For most of this past year I have had to deal with the reality that, having lost a leg and an arm already, I now must have my other leg amputated.
“As you would think, life gets far more challenging the more limbs you lose. The increased reliance on your surviving limbs after an amputation is just extraordinary.
“Even just the smallest of things you took for granted prior to an amputation is no longer something you are able to do and then it’s up to you to find your new way of getting these things done.
“I’ve been quite good at finding these new ways to date but, after this one, I’m going to need a lot of help.
“So, I guess this is mainly what my appeal is about.
“A working prosthetic arm is something I have always wanted but with the upcoming challenge ahead, it has got to the point where I actually need it in order for me to be able to function in any meaningful way.
“After my upcoming surgery takes place this September, I will be left with no legs and just one arm and the implications of this for me, personally, are huge.
“One of the downsides of this operation for me is that it means I will no longer be insured to drive a normal automatic car as I am doing now.
“Major modifications will be needed for whatever cars I drive for the rest of my life and a bionic arm is required in order to be able to manoeuvre those modifications.
“It’s only when you experience what goes with acquiring a prosthesis that you realise how expensive even the smallest of parts cost, whether it’s an attachment for an arm or a leg, you’re generally talking thousands of euros.
“Unfortunately, when you are dealing with three prosthetic limbs, you find yourself acquiring different parts on a continuous basis,” Charlie added.
You can donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/future-for-charlie