The family and friends of 39-year-old Declan (Denis) O’Halloran are appealing to the public in order to gather funds to help the father of two complete his self-build home by launching a campaign called, ‘The Do it for Declan Fundraising Committee”.
So far, €76,160 has been raised of the target goal of €150,000 with organisers saying “all support no matter how big or small will be greatly appreciated and a committee has been established to manage the funds and oversee the project.”
Declan moved home from Australia in 2022 with his wife and two young kids in order to settle back in his hometown, but says that due to a “devastating” diagnosis of a degenerative condition, was unable to secure a mortgage.
Declan met his wife Joanne Kenneally from Middleton, Co. Cork while the pair were working in Australia before they married in 2017 and had two children, Ava (5), and Levi (3).
While working out in Aus as a construction supervisor and a nurse respectively, the pair say it was always their plan to return home with their kids to Declan’s home town of Newcastle in Co. Tipperary.
In 2021, a short time after the birth of little Levi, Declan began to develop symptoms such as unsteadiness on his feet and abnormalities in his speech.
The campaign organisers say that doctors in Australia diagnosed him with MS, but in spite of this the pair moved along with their plans to return home to Newcastle with the money they had saved and sought planning permission to build a home.
On returning to Ireland in 2022, they say Declan was referred to a Neurologist where further investigations began to determine whether he had MS or a different condition.
The house as it stands as of September 2024.
They say that because of his illness the couple have been unable to get a mortgage so Declan began a self-build project “using their savings and income from employment and in the hope that treatment would relieve his symptoms and things would get back to normal.”
Things did not go to plan and worsening symptoms meant Declan was unable to keep working on the house and on the 29th of May 2024, he was “given the devastating diagnosis of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA).”
“Currently Declan is managing some of the symptoms of MSA through making lifestyle and dietary adaptations, medications/ supplements for specific symptoms, physio and speech therapy but the illness has been progressive,” the fundraiser says.
“Declan and Joanne have tried to continue building their home through the financial support of family. However, with the increased cost of building, and with his health deteriorating and inability to get a mortgage due to his illness, it has become increasingly difficult for Declan to continue working on his home and the stress and strain of the project is taking its toll on him and his family.” they say.
Organisers say any funds raised will “go towards completing the house ensuring that it will meet his needs going forward and provide for the ongoing and future medical expenses that Declan has.