A CRUMLIN school girl who suffers from a genetic condition is supporting a leading organisation dedicated to fighting all liver diseases of childhood.
Katie Mulholland helps kickstart fundraising for national children's charity's big yellow Friday.
Last week Katie Mulholland,11, who suffers from Alagille syndrome which is a genetic condition that affects the liver as well as other major organs, enjoyed some fundraising fun for 'Big Yellow Friday', an event organised to raise money for the Children's Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF).
Katie, her friends' and family's efforts helped raise over £1000.
Big Yellow Friday involved people all around the country taking part in activities with a yellow theme in aid of CLDF.
Rosie her mum said: "Katie was diagnosed with Alagille syndrome just after she was born in 1997. Within days we went from having tests at our local hospital to being cared for at the specialist liver unit at Birmingham Children's Hospital and I knew it was very serious. It all happened so quickly.
"Over the years CLDF has been incredibly helpful. I remember talking to a member of CLDF's support team just after Katie's diagnosis and I have also attended the CLDF conference and family day which is a chance to meet other families living with liver disease which is great."
She continued: "On Big Yellow Friday we worked hard collecting donations from the doors at Tesco in Lurgan and the response was fantastic. On top of this there was fundraising at my children's schools, Naíscoil and Gaelscoil Ghleann Darach, as well as the Crawford School of Irish Dance. Shea Hughes is a local toddler who has had a liver transplant and his family also kindly collected some money. I'd like to thank them and everyone else involved."
There are over 100 life threatening and incurable liver diseases which strike at least two children every day in the UK, a greater incidence than childhood leukaemia. CLDF offers support to families affected, helps to educate healthcare professionals, and is the lead charity funding vital research into the causes and treatment of childhood liver disease. Catherine Arkley, chief executive at CLDF, said: "Big Yellow Friday was a huge success and a lot of fun for everyone whilst raising vital funds for our work. CLDF's services provide a lifeline to thousands of families whose lives have been shattered by childhood liver disease. On behalf of all those families we thank each and every individual who embraced Big Yellow Friday."
For more information on CLDF visit www.childliverdisease.org or call 0121 212 3839. Back Big Yellow Friday at www.childliverdisease.org/bigyellowfriday
