Longford nominations sought for carer of the year awards

Family Carers Ireland (FCI) are calling on friends, family members and health professionals to nominate family carers for 2019’s Carer of the Year awards. 

The deadline for nominations is September 26 and the ‘Carer of the Year’ awards recognise carers nationwide who sacrifice so much to caring for their loved ones. 

There are currently over 3,189 family carers in Longford over the age of 15 and FCI are asking those who know a carer that should be recognised for their work in caring for loved ones, to please make a nomination.

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There are two categories of awards, Carer of the Year and four Young Carer of the Year who represent Dublin, Ulster/Connacht, Leinster and Munster. The ‘Carer of the Year’ awards will take place in November at the Westin Hotel in Dublin hosted by broadcasters, and patrons of the charity, Mary Kennedy and Marty Whelan. 

Making a nomination is simple. Fill in the nomination form online at www.familycarers.ie, giving as much detail as possible as to why the carer should be considered for an award. Nomination forms are available online at www.familycarers.ie or from Family Carers Ireland resource centres.   

Last years ‘Carers of the Year’ will be in attendance, including Brenda O’Connell Barry, the 2018 Carer of the Year from Charleville. She cares for her son Fionn (4) who has NACC1, a rare genetic mutational condition. 

Alongside Brenda, 2018’s impressive Young Carers will be present. These are:

• Shauna Tighe (14) from Dublin who helps her mother Sinead care for her brother Daniel (11). Daniel has a rare genetic condition called Sotos syndrome.
• Siblings Harry (13) and Molly (11) Flynn from Ferrybank on the Waterford/Kilkenny border who care for their sister Isabelle who has Cerebral Palsy and Apnoea which causes her to stop breathing.
• Sean Ryan (10) from Portlaoise, County Laois who helps to care for his twin brother Liam who has severe Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and as a result is a full-time wheelchair user.
• Alanna Connolly (17) from Athenry, County Galway who helps to care for her twin sister Leah who was born with an undiagnosed rare syndrome.

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