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€10,000 raised for Jack and Jill Foundation

Recently we announced our plans to raise much-needed nursing hours for the Jack and Jill Foundation and we are thrilled to say we have already raised 625 hours of our 1,000 hours goal.

Whiskey enthusiasts from around the world have helped us to reach €10,000 (the equivalent of 625 nursing hours at Jack and Jill) in less than a week. But the job’s not done yet!

We want to share with you what your donations mean to us, and to families who use the services of Jack and Jill.

These donations go so far in helping children like Cadan, by giving their family much needed support. Every donation makes a difference. Please continue to support our fundraising efforts, and be in with a chance to win Bernard and Rosemary Walsh’s complete collection of Writers’ Tears Cask Strength Vintages from 2011 – 2020 (yet to be released).

Cadan is 5 years old from Oranmore in Co. Galway. After his birth Cadan was rushed to Dublin where he spent the first few months of his life in hospital. Cadan wasn’t expected to survive at first but he kept fighting against all odds and thankfully managed to win his first battle. Cadan’s Mum Joanne tells us what happened next.

“The Jack & Jill Foundation first came into our family when Cadan was almost 5 months old, we were just back in Galway and getting things organised to bring him home when the hospital contacted the Foundation about Cadan receiving care from home. Cathy our Liaison Nurse came to our home that first evening, she explained to us about the history of the Jack & Jill Foundation and how they could help us. It was so hard at first to accept that we needed professional help from strangers to help care for our own child. With us already having two older children (Cian & Connor) growing up so happy and perfect we felt like we were almost failing Cadan in some way, that we couldn’t do this on our own as parents. It then all started to become clear that we needed the help, nights were long and hard, and the days were even longer and harder (much harder than all the typical new born issues that arise) we were in and out of hospital, up and down to Dublin. Everyday there was some new complication or something we had to learn, in the beginning the Jack & Jill Foundation was not only was providing Cadan with nursing care but they became our voices, our advocates.

“The nursing care provided by the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation has given us something back that is so precious and that something is TIME! We can use our monthly number of hours as we wish. There are times that Cadan can have weeks of only needing 2 to 3 hours sleep in each 24-hour period, so of course we are wrecked, going around like zombies, not able to function which is no good to anyone. 

“We use our Jack & Jill time to sleep if needed, do the food shopping, the housework, attend an appointment or something outside of the house that I cannot bring him to, it gives us time to do all the simple daily things that everyone needs to do in life.”

To donate to our charity fundraiser in aid of the Jack and Jill foundation, and to be in with a chance to win the complete Writers’ Tears Cask Strength collection, please click here. https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/writers-tears-cask-strength-raffle-in-aid-of-the-jack-jill-foundation-tickets-106754166586

**To enter you must be of legal drinking age. Proof of age is required before prize will be delivered. Raffle is open to entries from all countries but please note delivery is only guaranteed to an Irish address, international delivery is not guaranteed.

The raffle will be live streamed on Writers’ Tears Facebook Page on Thursday 9 July and independently adjudicated.

Donations of €16 – the equivalent of one nursing hour at Jack and Jill – are valid for entry to the raffle. Donations in multiples of €16 will be counted as multiple entries (€16 = 1 ticket, €32 = 2 tickets, €48 = 3 tickets, etc). Donations less than €16 will not be counted as entry for the raffle but will still be donated to the charity.**