Caitlin Parle is a three-year-old Wexford native who resides in Rosslare Strand with her parents Gemma and Paul, brother Jack and twin sister Abbie. The Parle family have set up a fundraising campaign for little Caitlin who spent three and a half weeks in intensive care after suffering a stroke, seizures and a big operation which most of Caitlin’s large intestine removed. Gemma, Caitlin’s mother recalls the night Caitlin took ill back in April. “Caitlin went to bed on the Friday night just like the rest of her siblings with not a bother to her, it was then when I found her on the Saturday morning, and she just wasn’t responsive at all, so she was rushed, to Wexford General Hospital, and the team there worked on her all day, then Caitlin was transferred up to Temple Street”. The parents later discovered that their daughter was beginning to show signs of infection and the staff were struggling to control her temperature and so she was put into a coma. Caitlin’s bowel had died but it took time until she was stable enough to remove it, she was then operated on, on Saturday 18th April and had her large intestine removed, after this she fought through and came off the ventilator on 22nd of April. “The first night, we got a phone call through the night saying that Caitlin wasn’t good, we were sat down on the Sunday morning and told that she mightn’t make it, they don’t know what’s wrong with her and that this isn’t looking great” says Gemma.  “They were doing a number of different tests, MRI’s and CTs, any tests they could do, they did throughout Caitlin’s time there and there was still no cause or diagnosis is to why this has happened”. Gemma commended the nurses in Temple Street who looked after their daughter back in April. “The nurses in ICU were amazing, looking after her and playing music to her while she was asleep. I didn’t get to hold her for 19 days, but I knew she was in the best care with the most caring staff” When Caitlin  was finally released onto the ward after 3.5 weeks, it was then when the hard work started as  Caitlin had to relearn to do everything again. The little trooper had occupational therapy, physio, speech and language therapy, music therapy and the multi-sensory room while in the hospital. Caitlin spent three and a half weeks in intensive care and a further 18 weeks in Temple Street Children's Hospital. Now back home in Wexford, I asked Gemma how Caitlin is getting on. “We have been home since August and Caitlin has just been unbelievable” states Gemma. “She’s happy, back up on her feet walking, she is doing the best to do everything that she can do and is trying her best to keep up with her brother and sister. Speaking wise, she is getting a few words back, but it is going to a long road for her. She has epilepsy as a result of everything and an acquired brain injury, but I think she is sort of defying what everyone thought she would be able to do”. Gemma also reveals that Caitlin’s biggest motivators are her siblings Jack and Abbie. “Caitlin is just wanting to do what they do, even before all of this, Caitlin would have been very independent, determined and well ahead for everything so her determination and stubbornness is really standing to her now, she is such a strong little girl”. Caitlin going forward will need numerous therapies as well as  travelling up and down for hospital appointments, so taking on aunty responsibilities, Gemma’s sister Michelle came up with the idea of starting up a GoFundMe page to help with Parle family with the expenses, so far, they have raised over 24,500 euro. “Yes so my sister started the page  fundraising for any therapies, toys, equipment that Caitlin may need in regards to her recovery because as you can imagine, we need so many things such as mats for the floor due to her epilepsy in case she falls, or hits her head, etc. Due to Covid we can’t do the typical things due to fear of crowds, but we have had some fantastic people such as the Unislim in Wexford who raised €541 doing a walk for the month of September, I played football, years and years ago, and some of the girls I played with have done a sponsored swim, someone is also wanting to do a marathon and has Caitlin down on the sponsorship card, so people have been absolutely unbelievable. I think everyone heard Caitlin’s story and it makes you want to hug your own, and just want to get involved that bit more”.

To help to Caitlin’s recovery, you can send a donation to her GoFundMe page - https://ie.gofundme.com/f/support-caitlins-comeback