Irish football captain Seamus Coleman has given a massive boost to a fundraiser for Jason Hanlon ahead of his vital spinal surgery.
The Killybegs footballer donated €3,000 to support Jason as he awaits a lifesaving operation this month.
Jason, aged 26, from Doochary lives every day in excruciating pain from severe scoliosis. The much-loved young man has profound learning disabilities both physically and mentally.
Jason’s mum Liz, sister Aine and brother Adrian have battled to secure a spinal operation to relieve him of his 24/7 pain. Through a hard-fought social media campaign, they finally got a surgery date at Tallaght Hospital on the 27th of November.
Liz and Jason Hanlon
The local community has rallied around Jason in recent months to support him and fundraise for the family.
There was surprise and delight this weekend when a donation came in from Ireland and Everton star Seamus Coleman.
Coleman gave €3,000 to Jason’s GoFundMe page and wrote a simple message, saying: “Good luck with the operation Jason.”
Jason’s family were full of thanks for the generous gift, writing on Facebook: “Jason is a huge fan of Seamus Coleman and by the looks of things Seamus is a huge fan of Jason also. What a gentleman. Again, the community looking after one another. We are so blessed.
“Thank you so much to Seamus for this donation. What a kind hearted soul you are.”
The donation helped to bring Jason’s fund over its target of €10,000. All money raised ahead of the surgery will cover the costs for the renovations of the Hanlon family home and specialised equipment needed for his aftercare.
It will also help support family members to stay in Dublin during Jason’s recovery.
Coleman also signed and donated a pair of football boots to be raffled off for Jason. The draw is due to take place on 17th November and more information on tickets is available on the ‘Jason’s Journey’ Facebook page.
Coleman is no stranger to helping campaigns online. He recently made a €5,000 donation to injured Liverpool fan Sean Cox and later told media that he put his name towards the donations to raise more publicity for the fund.
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