APPEAL: Kieran Donaghy pictured with Chloe and her parents Deborah O'Connor and Gareth Jenkins.

By Sean Moriarty

Killarney businesses have rallied around the family of a little sick girl who is battling a very rare neuroblastoma and further plans are in place for a fundraising quiz night to help offset the costs of her specialist treatment in Germany.

The family of 22-month-old Chloe Jenkins are organising a quiz night on Friday, November 22, to raise much needed funds for the brave toddler. It will take place at the Killarney Avenue Hotel at 8.30pm.

Little Chole, whose mom Denise comes from Killorglin, was featured in the Killarney Advertiser in August and again in September when football legend Kieran Donaghy donated his Sky television fee during Kerry’s All-Ireland title bid.

“Since then, after completing six rounds of intensive chemotherapy, Chloe has undergone major surgery to remove 85 percent of the cancer, along with her left kidney,” her aunt Helen Kelly told the Killarney Advertiser.
“The remaining tumour is entwined around major blood vessels and organs so cannot be removed surgically. Radiotherapy isn’t a good option for Chloe as she is only 22-months-old and the fact that she has only one kidney.”

Chloe is currently in the Essen clinic in Germany being assessed and will travel back to Germany later in the month for several weeks of specialist Proton Beam Therapy that will specifically target the remaining tumour and prevent damage to her remaining kidney and other organs.

Helen said the family were overwhelmed with the support they have received from the business community in Killarney since they went public with their fundraising efforts in late August.

So far staff and management at the Aran Sweater Market, Sceal Eile Café, Breda Hughes Jewellery and Hegarty’s Spar on the Park Road have all made contributions or organised events to raise funds.

“I would specially like to mention Valerie from Hegarty’s. Staff and customers of her shop were one of the first to donate. They raised €2,200 and to get that kind of money from someone we don’t even know is overwhelming and told us that this fundraising can work,” she added.