MOTHER OF BLINDED BOMB VICTIM TO WALK GREAT WALL OF CHINA
Mother of blinded bomb victim to walk Great Wall of China
BY JOHN McCUSKER
Trek to raise money for RNIB
THE mother of a teenager who lost her sight in the Omagh bombing is set to undertake a walk along the Great Wall of China to raise funds for the blind.
Marie Gallagher, from Ashbourne Heights in Omagh will this weekend join eight other charity hikers on a 10-day fundraiser for the RNIB.
Just over three years ago, Marie's daughter, Claire was blinded after suffering serious facial injuries in the Market Street explosion. The young student had been in town with friends when she was caught up in the atrocity.
Since then, the inspirational 18-year-old has completed her A-levels and last week began a three-year Music and Psychology course at Queen's University.
Marie, who works as a radiographer at Craigavon Area Hospital said "The RNIB has been extremely helpful to Claire in the past and I thought it would be appropriate if I could help raise some money for the charity.
"Staff at the Institute have offered educational advice and equipment which helped Claire cope with the problems she faced after the bomb. They couldn't be helpful enough and their efforts are still ongoing.
"I hope the money raised will now help others to benefit in a similar fashion in the future."
Day one of the journey sees Marie faced with trekking up 1,600 steps of the wall on a stretch between Beijing and Chengde. Weeks of training have gone into preparing for the hurdle.
"I know from personal experience that blind people face challenges every day so those 1,600 steps will certainly be a challenge to me," she said.
During the fund-raiser, Marie will be accompanied by long-time friend Jayne Hartley. Throughout the past eight months the pair have trained extensively regularly climbing on Bessie Bell, the Gortin Glens and the Urris Hills in Donegal. The foot-and-mouth crisis severely hampered the training schedule. But since the lifting of restrictions the walkers have returned to train in the mountains.
Fundraising efforts have included a Garden Fete at Baronscourt Estate and a novel night of wooden camel races at McGirr's of Gortnagarn.
Three weeks ago, Marie and her husband Seamus led 300 walkers on the eight-mile Burren Ramble in Co Clare which raised thousands of pounds for the RNIB.
"When I said I wanted to walk the Great Wall of China my friend Jayne said she would come along and support me," Marie said.
"It's the first time I've ever undertaken a fundraiser like this. When we started preparing for it we tried the training zone at the local leisure centre but we both preferred walking in the countryside.
"To date, people have been very supportive and generous with donations. We have raised over �7,000 and I hope that figure will increase before we have to close the account."
Donations to the China Trek will be accepted up until Friday 19 October at the Halifax in High Street Omagh account number 2153942261-0.
BY JOHN McCUSKER
Trek to raise money for RNIB
THE mother of a teenager who lost her sight in the Omagh bombing is set to undertake a walk along the Great Wall of China to raise funds for the blind.
Marie Gallagher, from Ashbourne Heights in Omagh will this weekend join eight other charity hikers on a 10-day fundraiser for the RNIB.
Just over three years ago, Marie's daughter, Claire was blinded after suffering serious facial injuries in the Market Street explosion. The young student had been in town with friends when she was caught up in the atrocity.
Since then, the inspirational 18-year-old has completed her A-levels and last week began a three-year Music and Psychology course at Queen's University.
Marie, who works as a radiographer at Craigavon Area Hospital said "The RNIB has been extremely helpful to Claire in the past and I thought it would be appropriate if I could help raise some money for the charity.
"Staff at the Institute have offered educational advice and equipment which helped Claire cope with the problems she faced after the bomb. They couldn't be helpful enough and their efforts are still ongoing.
"I hope the money raised will now help others to benefit in a similar fashion in the future."
Day one of the journey sees Marie faced with trekking up 1,600 steps of the wall on a stretch between Beijing and Chengde. Weeks of training have gone into preparing for the hurdle.
"I know from personal experience that blind people face challenges every day so those 1,600 steps will certainly be a challenge to me," she said.
During the fund-raiser, Marie will be accompanied by long-time friend Jayne Hartley. Throughout the past eight months the pair have trained extensively regularly climbing on Bessie Bell, the Gortin Glens and the Urris Hills in Donegal. The foot-and-mouth crisis severely hampered the training schedule. But since the lifting of restrictions the walkers have returned to train in the mountains.
Fundraising efforts have included a Garden Fete at Baronscourt Estate and a novel night of wooden camel races at McGirr's of Gortnagarn.
Three weeks ago, Marie and her husband Seamus led 300 walkers on the eight-mile Burren Ramble in Co Clare which raised thousands of pounds for the RNIB.
"When I said I wanted to walk the Great Wall of China my friend Jayne said she would come along and support me," Marie said.
"It's the first time I've ever undertaken a fundraiser like this. When we started preparing for it we tried the training zone at the local leisure centre but we both preferred walking in the countryside.
"To date, people have been very supportive and generous with donations. We have raised over �7,000 and I hope that figure will increase before we have to close the account."
Donations to the China Trek will be accepted up until Friday 19 October at the Halifax in High Street Omagh account number 2153942261-0.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0848
Published Date: 04-Oct-01
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