Tag Archives: BUMBLEance

THE Zimmer Biomet team in Shannon and Galway rowed and cycled the equivalent distance of Ireland to Beijing to raise over €20,000 to support sick children, writes Owen Ryan. The company’s contribution will benefit BUMBLEance, an Irish charity devoted to transporting extremely ill children or children with life limiting illnesses to their hospital appointments. This latest fundraiser forms part of an ongoing partnership with BUMBLEance and the Zimmer Biomet team. Prior to the pandemic, the team traditionally completed an annual fundraising cycle from its plant in Shannon to its sister site in Galway. However, this year, in response to COVID restrictions, the team decided to cycle or row approximately 15,000kms, equating to the average distance travelled by the BUMBLEance fleet in Ireland each week. Observing social distancing, the cycling and rowing activities were safely completed either at the employees’ homes or within the company’s plants in Shannon and Galway with all funds raised matched by the company. Brian Conlan, CEO …

AN EPIC fundraising run in memory of the late beloved son of a west Clare family has made an impressive €45,000 for a number of charities. Ailish and John McMahon lost their son Cormac in May 2019 and wanted to do some good in his memory by raising much-needed funds for charities. The four charities to benefit will be The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation, LauraLynn Ireland’s Children’s Hospice and Bumbleance, the official Children’s National Ambulance Service. The event, dubbed 4 10ks 4 Cormac saw John completing four 10-kilometre runs in just one day, four hours apart; something he achieved with flying colours on May 15 this year. Last week, the family handed over the proceeds of the fundraiser at West Clare Sports and Fitness, with the successful campaign raising over €45,000. The final figure came both from online fundraising through a account and a sponsorship cards sent out around west Clare, including Cooraclare, where John is originally from and …

A KILLALOE mother-of-four has urged people to support a charity that transports children with special needs long distances to their hospital appointments. Born prematurely at 30 weeks and six days, Shaye Collins was covered in a rash, needed a blood transfusion and had to be ventilated straight away. A few days after his birth, Shaye’s family were devastated when he was diagnosed with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), an extremely rare and life-threatening blood disease that no premature baby in Ireland had ever survived. Veronica Collins estimated they have used the BUMBLEance Children’s Ambulance about 30 times over the last two years. Shaye (4), who has been described as a “miracle baby” likes to watch cartoons like Peppa Pig at the back of the ambulance, which keeps him occupied. Older children are provided with a play station for online games. “It is a pity we didn’t know about the BUMBLEance initially because we were in Crumlin Hospital weekly after Shaye was born …

A Sixmilebridge boy, who has a very rare life-limiting illness has travelled in the world’s first interactive children’s ambulance, to make long journeys to hospital more comfortable. Jordan Perez, who suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type Two, was the first Clare child to use the BUMBLEance recently. SMA Type Two is part of a group of disorders that affect the control of muscle movements. Confined to a wheelchair, Jordan requires full-time care on a 24-hour basis. He was honoured as one of Ireland’s nine bravest children at a Share a Dream’s National Children of Courage Awards at their Dream Ball in Clontarf Castle, Dublin last year. BUMBLEance transports sick children from all over Ireland to their treatment centres and attempt to make like a little easier for the child and their parents. Jordan frequently makes the long and usually uncomfortable journey to Dublin for treatment. Jordan’s mum, Sinead, described the journey as “very comfortable and much less stressful, as …