LauraLynn Children’s Hospice launch their Legacy Giving Campaign with the help of the Dunford family. LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice, has launched ‘My Legacy’ campaign in conjunction with MyLegacy.ie.
My Legacy Month is an initiative throughout the month of November during which My Legacy and their member charities ask the public to consider leaving a gift in their Will. My Legacy is a group of over 70 Irish charities working together to create public awareness about the importance of making a Will and how to ensure that their values can continue on into the future, by including a gift in their Will to a charity they care about. Mairead and Chuck Dunford are from county Mayo, their son, Kevin was born with a life-limiting condition and sadly died in 2014 at the age of 8. Kevin attended LauraLynn for respite and his family have many fond memories of their time there. Those memories and their influence have gone further than LauraLynn. In the playground in LauraLynn, Kevin’s brother proclaimed that this was the first time they both could actually play together in a park without adult help.
This experience led the family, in conjunction with Kevin’s school, to advocate on behalf of children with additional needs when the local town park was being redeveloped, for it to go beyond the universal guidelines for playgrounds. Kevin achieved this and was due to officially open the park but sadly he died two days beforehand. As an acknowledgement of his influence and lasting legacy on its development and the need for children with additional needs to enjoy life, a memorial plaque in his memory was erected at the entrance with the words “…wild and free we roam”. This special playground is Kevin’s legacy, his gift to all children, particularly those with additional needs.
Kevin’s mam, Mairead says; “Kevin’s influence on the park is, and will have an impact on children he’ll never know. The founders of LauraLynn left an irreplaceable legacy. A children’s hospice is something people do not wish to think about, it is seen as a sad story. The thing is it can come to any of our doors. It could be your grandchild, your child, your niece, your nephew or a friend’s child. No one knows what lies ahead.”
Pauline Murphy, Fundraising & Gifts In Will Officer at LauraLynn says; ‘’Having a will is very important for so many good reasons and particularly during our annual November awareness campaign. LauraLynn is asking the public to consider leaving a gift in their will to support Ireland’s only Children’s Hospice. It is never too early to start thinking about making a will and deciding to leave a gift to a charity is a wonderful way to support a favourite cause in the future. Large or small, every legacy is a generous gift of hope and trust for the future.’’
LauraLynn receives no dedicated government funding and this year alone requires €5 million to maintain services, of which €4.6 million must be raised through donations. Every gift will go towards care and support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families from right across Ireland. After taking care of the important people in their lives, one of the most inspiring decisions a person can make, is to leave a gift in their Will to live on for future generations of families with children with a life-limiting condition who need the care and support of LauraLynn.
For more information on how to make a legacy gift please visit www.lauralynn.ie/how-to-help/gift-in-will
