Cliona’s Foundation was founded by Brendan & Terry Ring following the death of their own daughter Cliona at 15 following 8 years treatment for an inoperable brain tumour. During this time they met many parents struggling financially with the hidden costs of looking after their sick child and saw first-hand the enormous toll it took on these families. Right now, there are 4,000 children battling with a life limiting illness in Ireland. 400 of these will die this year. Parents of these 4,000 children are away from home for long periods of time while they care for their child- paying for accommodation, food, transport, having to take time out of work, pay childminders to look after their other children and also have to purchase specialized equipment. Non-medical expenses, particularly for parents outside Dublin who have to travel to visit their child in hospital can run to as much as €160 a day. It is estimated that it costs an additional €10,000 per annum to care for a child with a life limiting illness. For some families it is the harsh reality that they cannot afford to be by their sick child’s bedside while in hospital due to the associated costs. Funds raised by Cliona’s Foundation are not used to pay for the child’s medical care: rather donations are made to help with the “hidden” costs of caring
