Fundraiser honours baby Nicholas’ memory

THE parents of baby Nicholas Stokes, who sadly passed away after being born prematurely at the Cliffs of Moher in 2006, were “unbelievably touched” when artwork made in their son’s honour was unveiled at the weekend. THE parents of baby Nicholas Stokes, who sadly passed away after being born prematurely at the Cliffs of Moher in 2006, were “unbelievably touched” when artwork made in their son’s honour was unveiled at the weekend.
The memory of baby Nicholas was celebrated on Saturday with a fundraising five-mile run and walk in aid of the first-aid centre at the Cliffs, which is now known as Nicholas’ Room, and also the neonatal unit at the Mid-Western Regional Maternity Hospital, Limerick.
American parents, Kelly Stokes and Delia Garcia Stokes, made the trip from their home in Phoenix, Arizona for the run, organised as part of the 25th anniversary of the twinning of Ennis with Phoenix. Waving the flag to launch the fundraising event was Nicholas’ little sister, Maddie.
Before the five-miler began, a new panel on the door to Nicholas’ Room was revealed for the first time. The artwork for the panel was produced by Lahinch artist Phillip Morrisson, featuring a scene of the cliffs along with butterflies.
According to Councillor Mary Howard of the Ennis Phoenix Twinning Board, “It was a very emotional day for all, particularly when the new panel for the door was unveiled. That room is very special to both Kelly and Delia so when they saw the beautiful artwork, they were unbelievably touched. They took lots of photos, you could see they were very pleased with it.”
A canvas of the artwork was also presented to the couple by Katherine Webster, director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience.
Around 300 participants took part in the event, which also featured performances by members of the St Mary’s Catholic High School Band from Phoenix.
“It was a fantastic day. It was great to see so many people coming out to support the event. We had everything from runners, to walkers, joggers, wobblers, toddlers, children in buggies and even dogs.
“It was a magnificent day and we felt this was a very positive way of honouring the memory of baby Nicholas and the generosity of his parents,” said Councillor Howard.
After Nicholas passed away at the Cliffs of Moher, his parents, Kelly and Delia, were so touched by the support they received that they raised over $80,000 to supply emergency equipment and emergency response training for personnel at the Cliffs of Moher.
The 2013 five-mile run was organised by the Ennis Phoenix Twinning Board, in association with James Sexton, Clare athletics PRO.