The family of a child who died after she was struck by a car in West Belfast has donated a cheque to the Air Ambulance in her memory.
Kaitlin McCoubrey-Fullerton died after a one-vehicle road traffic collision on Springhill Avenue, on Saturday, April 3, 2021. Shortly after 6:10pm that evening, Kaitlin was hit by a car, and tragically, the young child passed away at the scene.
The seven-year-old's family embarked on a major fundraising mission, keeping their daughter's legacy alive. Helped by the boxing community across Belfast, Padraig McCrory donated his World Champion glove to the NI Air Ambulance fundraiser, which saw family, friends and strangers donate.
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Belfast Live joined Kaitlin's family on the second anniversary of her death, as they handed over a cheque for more than £7,000 to Air Ambulance staff.
Speaking from the charity's helipad, Kaitlin's mum Jennifer said: "We done lots of different things to raise the money, from raffles to the boxing gloves too. We couldn't believe how much we raised because we didn't expect to get close to £5,000, so to have over seven is amazing.
"Being here today [Air Ambulance HQ] to hand over the money, is the only good thing to come out of today, being Kaitlin's anniversary. We wanted to do something good, in memory of Kaitlin. The Air Ambulance came to the scene of the crash, in their car. They aren't government funded, so it is good to give them some money - if it helps to save someone else's life."
"We, as a family, cannot thank people enough," Kaitlin' family added.
"The only thing we can do is say thank you, but we feel, in our hearts, that it's not enough for what they have done for us. The support is incredible, we can't even describe what it means to us.
"Kaitlin is spoken about every day, and we remember her as our bubbly wee child, who would have done anything for anybody. She was a real chatterbox and such a great child."
Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising at Air Ambulance Northern Ireland told Belfast Live that the charity relies on donations from the public, to keep up its work.
She said: "It is absolutely do touching, and humbling, that Kaitlin's family, faced with such tragedy, dealing with such loss, have the strength of character to think about other people, and to do something so positive. They are keeping Kaitlin's memory alive, but they are also helping to save lives. Over £7,000 is a huge contribution to the Air Ambulance service. It'll help to keep us flying.
"On average, the team are needed twice every single day. It is really frequent, and it could be a serious road traffic collision, it could be a farm accident, a fall down the stairs at home. Any medical emergency. Somewhere where serious trauma has happened."
If you would like to donate to the NI Air Ambulance, please click here.
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