Anonymous donor gives €30,000 to fly baby Zoe Ireland to US

A Tennessee woman has said she will name her next child after a donor who gave her family the final €30,000 needed to bring her four-month premature baby back to the United States.

Jenny and Gavin Drake and their son Aidan were on a flight to the US from France last October when Jenny went into labour, causing the flight to be diverted to Dublin, where she was rushed by ambulance to the Rotunda Hospital.

Her baby, since named Zoe Ireland, was born weighing just 1 lb 13 oz. If Jenny had gone full term Zoe Ireland would not have been born until next month, February.

Because Zoe Ireland was so premature, doctors forbade the family bringing her to the US until she was strong enough. The best available date was “about a year”, although the doctors said they would reconsider the situation in “about six months’ time” Ms Drake said.

A medically equipped charter flight to transport the baby home would have been permissible - but at a cost of more then €60,000.

However, with the ongoing costs of staying in Ireland and a life and home to get back to in Tennessee, the family were in the position where “we couldn’t afford to leave” or stay, she added.

A GoFundMe appeal was set up by the family and friends to raise the cost of a medically assisted charter flight to bring the baby and her family home from Dublin.

Shortfall of €29,000

Just over half that amount had been contributed by Monday, leaving a shortfall of €29,000, but an appearance on the Ray Darcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1 brought forward an anonymous donor who said his family would contribute €30,000.

Jenny was given the good news when contacted again by the Ray Darcy show on Tuesday.

While the donor, married with two daughters, said his family wanted to remain anonymous, Jenny was told by the radio presenter she would be given the donor’s name and an opportunity to thank him in person.

“He’s 100 per cent above board, and he 100 per cent wants to fund the repatriation of Zoe Ireland to her home country of America,” Ray Darcy told Ms Drake live on air.

The clearly emotional mother said: “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, I’m not going to be able to talk. Wow.

‘Oh my goodness’

“You should have prepared me for this if you could,” she stammered. “Oh my goodness, that’s amazing.

Ms Drake said Zoe Ireland, who now weighs 5 lb, would be allowed home if her home was in Ireland. She said she could not take a risk of the baby catching a cold or infection by flying on a regular airline flight.

On a specially equipped aircraft she would have to be fed oxygen throughout the flight and medical personnel would have to monitor the oxygen and her condition.

The family is understood to be making arrangements to fly to the US as soon as practicable. Ray Darcy told his audience the episode made him “proud” to be Irish.