Disney half marathon in memory of past patient Carmel Ronan.

“Our mother Carmel passed away in May after a fight with both cancer and a stroke.  Carmel’s stroke was severe.  However, thanks to the hard work and commitment of those in the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) and her own determination, Carmel went from wheelchair, to stick, to walking independently.  

Thanks to the spectacular progress she made with communication and mobility in the NRH, mum managed to enjoy many activities with family and friends from cycling her bike, to swimming, to putting golf balls, to name but a few.  Before her illness Carmel loved to travel with her family.  

In honour of their hard work and mom’s resolve to not give up, we ran a half marathon in Disneyland Paris in aid of the NRH.  This is a special place for us as it was the site of many happy childhood holidays with mum and the last place we visited with her.”

Tips for Taking Part in a Half Marathon:

“The Disney half marathon had a fantastic atmosphere with lots of supporters and distractions and plenty of food and water stations along the 21km which definitely helped to complete the route.  We would definitely suggest using an app e.g. strava or map my run to track your training.  If you have a group with others doing the run it also helps to keep everyone motivated.  Most importantly remember to pace yourself on the race day and have fun.”

The Ronan Family raised an amazing €3,182.25 for the NRH. 

Thank you so much for this fantastic support, and for thinking of the NRH during this sad time.  The funds the Ronan Family have raised will support patients in the NRH on their unique rehabilitation journey.