Woman receives Kildare Family Carer of the Year 2022 Award

A woman from Maynooth has received the Kildare Family Carer of the Year 2022 Award.

Family Carers Ireland, the national charity supporting Ireland’s family carers, awarded Donna Moran the 2022 Netwatch Kildare Family Carer of the Year.

Donna cares for her son Evan (15) who was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2011 and is a wheelchair user.

Evan is an avid gamer, loves movies and Lego, and both he and his mum adore Evan’s nine year old assistance dog Glen provided by the charity Dogs for the Disabled.

Donna is very involved in Evan’s care, always advocating for what is best for him and other children and parents in similar situations.

Her love for her son shines through whenever she talks about him. 

According to the charity, Donna takes 'take every day as it comes, deals with a difficult situation with incredible dignity and strength and tries to have fun along the way too.'

Now in their 15th year, the Netwatch Family Carer of the Year Awards seek to recognise and shine a light on the remarkable contribution of the more than half a million people in Ireland who provide care at home to loved ones such as children or adults with additional needs, physical or intellectual disabilities, frail older people, those with palliative care needs or those living with chronic illnesses, mental health challenges or addiction.

The charity added: "The 19 million hours of unpaid care provided each week by family carers would cost the State €20bn a year to replace.

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'TOO OFTEN UNSEEN AND UNDERVALUED'

"Family carers often go unnoticed in the community despite the immense workload they take on and the significant commitment they show to those that they care for.

"This has particularly been the case during the pandemic with many left increasingly isolated."

Family Carers Ireland Community Support Manager for Kildare and Wicklow, Sarah Houlihan explained: "Caring for a loved one at home can be rewarding but it can also be challenging, particularly in the absence of vital supports and services including respite. This can take a toll on a person’s physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing.

"Often, a person can find themselves taking on the role of a family carer with little or no warning. These are mums, dads, sons, daughters, siblings, relatives, friends and colleagues who sometimes don’t even see themselves as family carers. They are doing extraordinary work that is too often unseen and undervalued.

“These awards are an important event in our calendar every year as we seek to provide some small recognition to all of those who care at home for loved ones with additional needs and to ensure their stories are heard.

She continued: "As a charity, we want family carers to know that they are not alone and that we are here to help them no matter where they find themselves on their caring journey.

"As a society, we must ensure that family carers are not only recognised for their immense contribution, but truly supported to care safely at home."

Mick Galwey, Netwatch Brand Ambassador, also said: "Family carers are the backbone of our local communities and the Netwatch Family Carer of the Year Awards offer a chance to highlight their sheer tenacity, selflessness and resilience.

"We have learnt more than ever over the last two years just how important caring is.

"Family carers are ordinary people we know doing extraordinary work behind closed doors; it is only right that we champion their contribution and to be a part of that is very special to me and to Netwatch."