Appeal to send jamie to us for eye surgery

A last ditch attempt to raise funds for ground breaking surgery for a young Oldcastle student with a serious visual impairment, is currently underway in Oldcastle.
A local fund raising committee has already raised €6000 for Jamie Power Disney, but a further €19,000 is needed by mid August if he is to receive the treatment he needs.
Jamie was born with bi-lateral optic nerve atrophy and a cure is finally possible - he is due to have the surgery in Florida on 1st September, if he has the funds in time.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get ground-breaking stem cell surgery for Jamie, who despite his disability, has lived a very full and active life and even played Gaelic football. Despite his very limited vision - he could just make out the outline of goalposts ad the colours of other footballers jerseys!
His mother Angie Power Disney explains that he is currently registered disabled although he always tries to hide his disability and unless he receives the treatment he will never be able to drive or do many other tasks people with normal vision take for granted.
He did his leaving Cert this year and hopes to go to college - and it is the committee’s hope that when he starts college, he will have normal vision.
He has a once in a lifetime chance as he has been invited to take part in a clinical trial which is having tremendous results.
The treatment would normally run into hundreds of thousands of euros but because he has been invited to join the trial he has just been asked to provide a token payment of €20,000. He would also need around €5000 for travel and accommodation for the duration of the treatment.
As the family rely on his mothers carers allowance and his disability payment, getting the fund together themselves is impossible.
Angie explains that the revolutionary surgery involves harvesting Jamie’s own stem cells though a lumbar puncture and using them to treat his eye condition.
“They have been having phenomenal results with this treatment,” she says.
“We would really love if he could have the treatment and be able to start college as a normally sighted person.”
“Jamie could have gone to a school for children with visual impairment in Dublin, but he chose to go to school here in Oldcastle and had visual aids and a special needs assistant at school.
“He has always fought against his disability and even played soccer and Gaelic and was the Oldacastle minor team.
“This is a once-off chance for Jamie and we are appealing for donations.”
A Share Account has been set up for Jamie at Oldcastle Credit Union with the BIC OLCU IE21XXX and IBAN IE03OLCU99211510089379 and reference number 10836001. Donations can also be made through www.crowdfunding.justgiving.com/jamie-power-disney.