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A young mother-of-two who is battling with a devastating form of cancer is to benefit from an innovative fundraising initiative to help finance her very expensive treatment.

Primary school teacher Miriam Joy is undergoing a hugely expensive new treatment to help in her battle with triple negative breast cancer. She was diagnosed in May 2017 but the treatment she received was not successful and the cancer has now spread to her brain and lungs.

Medical professionals have told the young mother that her only chance of survival is a change of direction with her treatment, but the required immunotherapy will cost a staggering €7,000, every three weeks, for an indefinite length of time.

Now the team behind a groundbreaking and lifesaving defibrillator in a phone kiosk project has come to Miriam’s aid with a very unique raffle proposal.

The prize is a custom-made traditional telephone kiosk and an AED with all donations generated going to support Miriam who lives with her husband, Pat, and two young children, Noah (10) and Joshua (5), in Castleisland.

Tradesman Tommy Hassett, who manufactures the €3,500 phone kiosks that house the AEDs, is a friend of the Joy family and he has teamed up with the Killarney-based Heart of Ireland crew and Ce-Tek Medical to donate a kiosk and a defibrillator to raise funds.

The AED kiosks are proving in huge demand all over the country since a pilot scheme was introduced in Killarney some years ago.

Heart of Ireland Project official, Damien Baker, said the organisation is glad to be able to help Miriam and her family.

“It is being made possible by the generosity of Tommy donating a phone box and Ce-Tek Medical donating an AED and cabinet,” he said. “We would like to wish Miriam and her family the best during this difficult time and we hope that this small act of generosity makes a difference”.

Miriam’s brother, Eoin, said the family is hugely grateful to all involved for the remarkable gesture of generosity.

“Their incredible generosity, work and vision in the development of this project has given great support to Miriam as well as providing a lifesaving device to a community. Their efforts and goodwill have blown us away,” he stated.

The raffle will run until October 17 and tickets, priced at €20, are available on the raffle link on the Heart of Ireland Facebook page.