The family of an inspirational Donegal toddler has appealed for fundraising ideas and support in their mission to help her to walk.
Tina Joan ‘TJ’ McDaid Needham, aged 3, stood up for the first time this summer following a month of intensive physiotherapy at the Peto Institute in Budapest.
Born with severe spina bifida meningocele, TJ has dealt with major health challenges and disability in her first years of life.
Her mum Claire McDaid, who is from Drumkeen outside Letterkenny, has been leading a fundraising campaign in the hope that one day her daughter will fulfil her ‘wish to walk’.
TJ is flying out to Hungary for two months of physiotherapy this September. She has already made great progress in the first course of treatment, which ran from Monday to Friday, up to nine hours per day.
TJ doing her physiotherapy in Budapest
“There’s no stopping our little warrior. We want to give her as much time as possible out there,” Claire tells Donegal Daily.
“There is a long road ahead, and she will be there for the next two and a half years, but they (Peto Institute) have guaranteed us she will walk out that door.
“We want to give her as much therapy as possible, but it’s costing money. We only have enough funds to see us into early next year, so we need more help.”
Discos, tractor runs, skydives and jumbo sales have all taken place recently to support little TJ.
TJ Needham McDaid
Now, Claire is appealing to people who want to run further fun events for the cause.
“We are extremely grateful and thankful for all the event support and donations that have been raised so far. However, we need much more needed funds to help TJ on her way,” she said.
“We know times are hard, but we are putting an appeal out for volunteers or anyone who has a spare hour to come meet us and organize some fundraising events,” she said.
“If everyone gets behind TJ and gives her the wish to walk, we can do it.”
For all updates on TJ’s journey, visit the TJ Wish to Walk fundraising page here.
Visit TJ’s main GoFundMe fundraising page at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/life-changing-treatment-for-t-j/
