Carers of the Year Awards: Parents, children and helpers honoured

More than 25 years ago, when Jim Reilly was just 40 years old, he had a stroke.

Since then, every day, every night, every week, month and year, he has been looked after by his wife, Mary Kathleen.

Twelve years ago, Liz Collins gave birth to Claudia, who has epidermolysis bullosa, an incurable and painful genetic ailment commonly known as butterfly skin. Liz's life now revolves around fighting to give Claudia as normal a life as possible.

Apart from that, Liz has also conquered breast cancer.

No fewer than three people depend on Sarah Jayne Mangan: her twin boys – Jack, who is a double amputee, and Joseph, who has autism – and her husband, John, who has had back problems and went through a major operation 10 years ago.

Joan Tubbritt has spent 36 years making sure her son Barry, who is intellectually disabled, has as happy a life as she can give him.

The Banking Hall of Dublin's Westin Hotel was filled on Wednesday with their stories, and those of many others – honoured members of the small army of parents and children, their family friends and helpers, on whom life's lottery has visited pain and sorrow only to be beaten back by the unfailing love and devotion of their carers.

The annual Family Carers Ireland Carers of the Year Awards underlined, again, the capacity of ordinary people to rise to extraordinary challenges. Approximately 160 of them and their families came to the awards ceremony where what they do was laid out, not in terms of statistics (carers are estimated to save the State some €4 billion a year) but through their own stories and the impact of what they do has.

Overall winner

The overall winner was Dorothy Meaney from Dooradoyle in Limerick. Dorothy is a full-time carer for her daughter Zondra (31), who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a tissue disorder that has an adverse effect on every part of her body, as well as Zondra's 9-year-old son and Dorothy's mother, whose death prevented Dorothy and Zondra attending the award ceremony.

But Zondra wrote a letter that was read by her friend Laura Fitzgerald.

“I never wished my condition away more than I have this past week,” it began. “It always gets in the way of everything but when it’s in the way of you and your family’s grief it is too much.”

She went on to thank her mother for her selfless devotion, which includes bringing Zondra to London every three months for specialist care not available in Ireland.

“I never thought I’d progress to a stage where I’d need full time care and lose my independence. But when you have a good carer by your side, she wrote of her mother, “they won’t make you feel like a burden”.

But Zondra so missed being there in the Westin for the celebratory lunch and the shared stories with other carers and their families.

“It is a pity we cannot be there today as it’s not often we get a nice day out. . .”

Mary Kathleen Reilly was one of 25 county-based award winners, hers being for Cavan. Liz Collins won for Dublin, Sarah Jayne Mangan for Laois and Joan Tubbritt for Waterford.

Young carers

For the first time, the organisation recognised the work of young carers, of whom there are estimated to be up to 25,000 throughout the country.

Sean Collins (13), from Smithboro in Monaghan, helps his parents Annette and Donal care for his profoundly intellectually disabled sister, Catherine, and he spoke of his pride at her Special Olympics achievement. He won for Ulster/Connaught.

Una McNicholas ( 17), from Lucan in Dublin, has been looking after her seriously disabled older sister, Elizabeth, for eight years and more recently her father, who has had several heart attacks. Una herself has mobility problems and wants to be an occupational therapist some day. Her award was for Dublin.

Seunfunmi Solanke (17), from Slane in Meath, looks after her 13-year-old brother, Moyo, who has Down’s syndrome. Winning for Leinster, she told master of ceremonies Marty Whelan that Moyo was such a sweet boy for whom simple things could be difficult.

Craig McSweeney (16), from Wilton in Cork, helps care for his elder brother, Cillian (26), who is severely physically disabled. His task has become even more valuable to his mother, Angela, since the death of his father a year ago and it is a task that Craig discharges while coping with his own challenge, Tourette’s syndrome.

He won for Munster. "Well," said co-host Mary Kennedy while chatting to him on the stage, "you are absolutely fantastic." Sean, Una, Seunfunmi and Craig are due to appear on RTÉ1 television's Late Late Show on Friday night