A signed Dublin jersey is up for grabs to help fund life-changing treatment for a 'miracle-baby'.
Tina Joan ‘TJ’ Needham lives in Stoneybatter in Dublin, and she was born in October 2020 to parents Claire McDaid and her partner Jay Needham. They received devastating news at Claire's 30-week scan, when they were told that their daughter TJ would not ever be able to live a normal life.
They were told they should strongly consider going to England to terminate the pregnancy. But against the odds TJ, who has spina bifida, survived and is now two-years-old.
Now, TJ's family have partnered with the Dublin GAA Fans Facebook page who have got their hands on a signed a jersey for an upcoming live draw on St Patrick's Day to raise much needed funds for TJ's physio treatment in Hungary. TJ has been accepted for treatment in the Peto Institute in Budapest, but the treatment, special equipment, and additional costs total to about €100,000.
Speaking to Dublin Live, doting mam Claire said that the family have hope that she will one day walk. Claire said: "It's €8,000 to €10,000 a month in Budapest, and we don't want to run out of money because when you run out of money the treatment stops.
"They have given us hope that she is going to walk, so that time will be coming now. We're just waiting on a phone call so it should be about six weeks for her leg and feet operation. Then once she's fully recovered, it's off to Budapest then for four weeks."
According to Claire, TJ is doing really well and is even crawling on the floor. She said: "She's doing so well, she's so determined.
"She's trying to get up to crawl and all, so once she has her operation and goes to Budapest she will walk to some extent. She'll definitely walk with the walker or she could surprise us all, but to get to that level, the costs of everything has gone up. It's just a stressful time."
To donate please visit TJ's main GoFundMe page here, and to enter the draw for the jersey click here
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