{"id":9671,"date":"2023-11-22T17:47:27","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T17:47:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.webhostlabs.net\/synergy\/?p=9671"},"modified":"2023-11-27T19:56:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T19:56:32","slug":"and-so-this-is-christmas-part-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.webhostlabs.net\/synergy\/2023\/11\/22\/and-so-this-is-christmas-part-three\/","title":{"rendered":"And so, This is Christmas \u2013 part Three"},"content":{"rendered":"

And so, This is Christmas\u00a0\u2013\u00a0part Three<\/h1>\n

Christmas Miracle\u00a0for Lily-Mae<\/h1>\n

and<\/p>\n

The Rocket Man\u2019s Tiny DancerThis week I\u2019m taking a small departure from Christmas hits. Yes, you can see them below, but before that I want to ask you for money. Not for me, I hasten to add, but for little Lily-Mae.\u00a0 Lily-Mae Morrison is a four year old girl from Claregalway in Co. Galway who was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma last summer – a very dangerous form of cancer which affects one in every 100,000 kids here.\u00a0 At this stage the disease has spread to other parts of the body such as distant lymph nodes, the skin, including bone marrow, as was the case with Lily-Mae at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Lily-Mae<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n

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Lily-Mae went through a five hour operation in late November to remove seven tumours from around her kidney. Initially it was to remove a large tumour that was twisted around her kidneys, but during the operation surgeons discovered six more tumours.<\/p>\n

Four year old Lily-Mae only developed the disease this year and it has developed so fast that she now has stage four.\u00a0 Her chance of survival is at best 30% to 40%. \u00a0Further treatment however is available in Europe and also in the US where it comes with a very expensive price tag!<\/p>\n

After the operation she will now be placed in isolation for up to 10 weeks as she undergoes punishing periods of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.\u00a0 Just imagine your four year old child being put in isolation for that length of time. \u00a0Unconceivable!<\/p>\n

Her mum Judith Sibley told of her delight at the success of the operation, which saw 97% of the main tumour removed. However, she said that the battle was only beginning.\u00a0 Even after treatment, the cancer returns in 70% of cases, at which stage it is generally considered untreatable.<\/p>\n

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\"Lily-Mae<\/p>\n

Lily-Mae and her parents, Judith and Leighton<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Lily-Mae and her parents, Judith and Leighton<\/span><\/span>Lily-Mae\u2019s parents, Mum Judith and Dad Leighton, are both self-employed ballet dancers and choreographers who also have a two-year-old son Evan.\u00a0 But they can no longer work as they must bring their little girl into Our Lady\u2019s Children\u2019s Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin every seven days for treatment.<\/p>\n

The Sunni-Mae Trust was launched to raise funds for Lily-Mae\u2019s treatment in July – and has already raised \u20ac80,000 to date.\u00a0 Close family friend and RTE cameraman, Stephen Macken, stepped in. He convinced a huge array of Irish stars to record a song for Lily-Mae, Elton John\u2019s 1971 Classic hit, Tiny Dancer.<\/p>\n

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\"Choir<\/p>\n

Choir for Tiny Dancer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Choir for Tiny Dancer<\/span><\/span>Paddy Casey, Declan O\u2019Rourke, Gari Deegan, Mary Black, The Reverse, Rob Vickers, Shane O\u2019Reilly (Bipolar Empire), Mal Touhy (The Riptide Movement), Mundy, Matthew Devereux & Shane Wearan (The Pale), John Spillane, Brian Hogan (Kila & Preacher\u2019s Son), Mickey Joe Harte, Naymedici, Tom Dunne (Something Happens), Paddy McKenna & Lindsey Hogan (Storyfold), Conor Quinn, Gavin James, Arrow in the Sky, Aoife Scott, Laura Sheeran (Nanu Nanu), Camille O\u2019Sullivan, Richie Hayes, Adela Meally & Ros O\u2019Meara (Adela and the Meanits), Sandra Dolan (Strange Frootz), Monica & Anne Brennan, Lucia Evans, Louise Colohan, Emily Macken, Ashley Tubridy, Alan Greaney, Stephen Macken, Cian McSweeney, Monica Fitzgerald, Brian Flanagan, Frank Naughton, Robb Murphy, Declan & Noel O\u2019Farrell, Schira & Mimi Lane, Megan Walsh, and a very special guest singer, Lily-Mae\u2019s father, Leighton Morrison. The photo above shows the over 300 strong choir to record the song in October last and it has already become a YouTube hit.<\/p>\n

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\"Elton<\/p>\n

Elton John<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Elton John<\/span><\/span>Next, in stepped the Rocket Man himself.\u00a0 He started tweeting about it, added it to Youtube and created a link to his own website and his Facebook channel. \u00a0He encouraged people to buy the single and make it a number one hit for Christmas.\u00a0 It is now a number one hit, but in order to be a Christmas number one it has to stay at number one until Christmas.\u00a0 And this is where you come in.\u00a0\u00a0Please buy the single and keep it there.<\/b><\/p>\n

Lily-Mae\u2019s parents hope to raise \u20ac1million.\u00a0 You can follow this brave little girl\u2019s progress on her Facebook page\u00a0http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/asongforlilymae<\/a>\u00a0and also on\u00a0http:\/\/www.asongforlilymae.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n

As a father of two great kids (who are now grown up), my heart goes out to Judith and Leighton. I never heard of Neuroblastoma and I want to make people aware of it and Lily-Mae.<\/p>\n

Lily-Mae likes the colour purple and dinosaurs, and particularly likes purple dinosaurs. She also likes fairies and, more often than not, imagines herself as one.\u00a0 She would like to ‘magic’ the pain away but there’s no magic in the real world and as a trainee fairy, she finds this a little bit confusing.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s see if we can knock the X Factor winner off the top spot this Christmas.\u00a0 Simon Cowel\u2019s made-up plastic pop stars will live for another day.\u00a0 Lily-Mae may not.\u00a0 We have to bring Lily-Mae and\u00a0<\/b>Neuroblastoma to world attention and raise \u20ac1 million for the Sunni-Mae Trust and the Neuroblastoma foundation.
\nYou can buy the single here\u00a0<\/b>https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/ie\/album\/tiny-dancer\/id576441815?i=576441894<\/b><\/a>.
\nIt\u2019ll cost you just \u20ac0.99.<\/b><\/p>\n

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