One day out from another absolutely massive game for his country and James McClean was not only thinking of others but making a considerable, thoughtful donation.
Darran Carr and his partner welcomed their son, Caleb, into the world back in 2015 and were as proud as any parents could be. They still are and they dote over the lad but their journey has not been easy ever since, nine weeks after his birth, he was diagnosed with Retinablastoma.
In lay terms, Retinablastoma is a form of eye cancer.
Caleb underwent six rounds of chemotherapy at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Belfast but also required treatment at the Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin.
Through it all, says Darran, Caleb has battled bravely and his own spirit and smiles have kept his parents going. The battle goes on, however, and the Derry youngster has now been referred to a specialised treatment centre in Switzerland.
A Just Giving page was set up, last month, in order to raise the sum of £1,000 to help Darran and his partner with some of the travel costs they will have in the coming weeks and months.
There was a steady stream of donations but the couple were still well short of the £1,000 mark as August turned to September. Then, on Friday afternoon, with McClean with his Ireland teammates in Georgia ahead of a vital World Cup qualifier, young Caleb’s cause received a massive boost.
Darran contacted SportsJOE to raise awareness of Caleb’s plight, and fight, and to thank “local hero” McClean for his generous donation.
The couple will need to take frequent trips from Derry to Belfast and then fly on to Switzerland as Caleb receives the specialised treatment he so needs.
This is not the first time McClean has stepped forward to make a sizeable, compassionate donation to an individual in need. In recent years, he has received praise for his gestures towards local Derry families, GAA clubs, and a young spina bifida sufferer for whom him purchased a specialised bike to help her get around.
Earlier this year, McClean and some friends also arranged a football match against a Down Syndrome team – the Oxford Bulls – who couldn’t find anyone to play with.
James McClean's gesture to mourning Derry family goes way beyond what should be expected https://t.co/C2QZHPrw76
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 19, 2016
What makes his latest donation all the more special is the proximity of such a massive game for his country. While many players would be forgiven for going tunnel-vision on the upcoming game, the West Brom midfielder was looking beyond his own tasks and worries and making a big difference in a young family’s life.
You can access the Just Giving page for Caleb here.
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