A brave volunteer gets his leg waxed in aid of the Katie appeal

The Keep Baby Katie Awake has raised a staggering £55,000 in just five weeks, it emerged last night.

By Connla Young

Connla@derrypost.com

Across County Derry and further afield tens of thousands of pounds are being raised each week as big hearted volunteers dig deep to raise vital cash for Katie’s treatment at Memorial Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

The Keep Katie Awake campaign is being backed by the County Derry Post which will be highlighting fundraising events in the coming weeks.

The nine-month-old suffers from a rare form of epilepsy and is so sick she can’t smile, swallow or see.

With dozens more events organised for the coming week Katie’s dad Gary says he is overwhelmed by public support.

“I really am amazed by the public response,” he said.

“So many people from all over the country have volunteered their time and energy to help Katie. I really can’t find the words to thank them. But we really appreciate their generosity and hope they will continue to help us.”

Last weekend alone almost £20,000 was raised through a series events from Cookstown to Dungiven.

Dungiven based fundraiser Brenda Doherty, who has helped raise £4,500 in recent weeks, said the public response to the campaign has been impressive.

“People have been very generous and their efforts have been fantastic,” she said.

A Dungiven mother has blasted sickos who were responsible for the brutal killing of her children’s pet cat. 

By Orla McNicholl

orla@derrypost.com 

Tanya Guy’s pet cat Ginger was viciously killed and dumped at the rear of her home last week.

The beloved family pet had been missing for a week when the family made the gruesome discovery.

Tanya said: “We found Ginger dumped behind a six foot fence at the back garden.

“He was shot in the side, his tail was sort of hacked off and he was badly burned.

“It is very upsetting for the family- he was the kid’s pet and obviously they are very distraught.

“I just don’t understand who would want to kill a family pet, it’s just cruel.”

There are also concerns that there are individuals in the area who are hunting cats by setting traps and carrying out the horrific killings.

This sick incident comes just weeks after a sheep was skinned and dumped at Banagher Forest and a cow’s severed head was found near Benbradagh.

David Wilson from the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said: “No doubt cats are a target of abuse and we see a lot of incidents where this is the case.

“In the past there has been an increase in incidents where cats have been abused, particularly where people set fireworks to them.

“We are not aware of the problem in this area though.” 

A new lifesaving initiative has been launched in Dungiven.

By Ciaran O’Neill

editor@derrypost.com

The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) is working in close partnership with St Canice’s Primary School and St Canice’s GAA club in Dungiven to support a new Defibrillator Scheme and Defibrillator Response Team for the area.   

This joint venture aims to offer a rapid medical response to people who may suffer a heart attack or other condition which would require a defibrillator. 

The overall aim is to save lives by having this vital life saving piece of equipment available to local people when they need it.  

Dungiven Fire Station will house the new community bought defibrillator and other emergency equipment which can be accessed by the 30 volunteers who make up a new Defibrillator Response Team for the area.

The Defibrillator Response Team includes 10 Dungiven Firefighters and 20 other members of the local community who have all been given access to the Fire Station to collect the defibrillator equipment, if it is required for a medical emergency.       

The new defibrillator was bought following fundraising by both pupils and staff at St. Canices Primary School.

The Defibrillator Response Team can be activated by calling 02877740140.

When you ring this number you will activate a message centre and hear an automated message.

Please remember you MUST call for an ambulance first by dialling 999

It is advisable to save this defibrillator emergency response number on your mobile or home telephone.

A Draperstown-based company has won a major award.

By Ciaran O’Neill

editor@derrypost.com

Pinc PR has taken top honours in the 2008 Awards for Excellence in Public Relations for its media relations campaign for Rally Ireland, the cross-border Round of the World Rally Championship.

 The local firm beat off competition from a large number of PR firms throughout Ireland at an awards ceremony in Dublin to take the prize for its print and broadcast media campaign for the inaugural round of the World Rally Championship.

The event took place in eight counties north and south, with over a quarter of a million live spectators and a global television audience of 62 million people.

 Director of Pinc PR, Patricia MacBride, said she was delighted with her company’s success.

“Creating public understanding and knowledge about such a unique and exciting event as Rally Ireland was a huge challenge and a great opportunity to undertake an all-island media campaign,” she said.

“We’re delighted that such a young company was entrusted with that challenge and that our strategy was judged by our peers as being solid and correct.

“We could not have achieved this success, however, without the many people who were drafted and dragooned into coming on board to support Rally Ireland, including importantly the thousands of members of Motorsport Ireland and the ANICC, who made sure the running of the event placed us amongst the top events in the Championship.

“We have a huge challenge for 2009 when Rally Ireland will open the Championship to ensure that we continue that level of visibility, goodwill and success for the event and all involved in it.”

Research by the University of Ulster showed that Rally Ireland generated €48/£36 million in additional economic spend for the north-west region. 

Two County Derry women helped save the lives of several babies just minutes from death after a power failure in an African hospital.

By Connla Young

connla@derrypopst.com

And they insist the children would have died had it not been for money donated by people in the county.

Kilrea woman Anne Dallat and Ballykelly’s Orla Beattie swung into action to save the little babies’ lives last weeks just hours after arriving in Malawi to help with an outreach orphanage project.

The babies hovered close to death after a power failure at Mlambe Hospital.

And the crisis deepened after a back-up generator at the cash-strapped hospital ran out of fuel.

Desperate doctors at the hospital were forced to beg for money to buy fuel as they battled to keep the seriously sick children alive.

But as the nightmare unfolded, the two local women stepped in to save the babies’ lives.

Anne and Orla, who arrived at the hospital just one hour earlier, used cash collected by the people of Kilrea to get the life-saving generator up and running, long enough for medical chiefs to stabilise the sick kids.

Five people were taken to hospital after a two car accident near Knockloughrim last week.

By Connla Young

Connla@derrypost.com

The five were hurt after a black Seat Leon and Black Mazda were involved in a head-on collision on the Glenshane Road around 10.30am on Friday.

It is understood four of those hurt were travelling in the Mazda.

All the injured were taken to hospital for treatment. Police confirmed none of the injuries were life threatening.

The Glenshane Road was closed for a time while police carried out a clear-up operation.

A young Park woman will represent County Derry in the Rose of Tralee final this summer.

By Orla McNicholl

orla@derrypost.com

Catherine Lagan was selected as the Derry rose at the recent five day regional heat, which was held in Portlaoise.

The Park beauty, who is an R.E. teacher at St. Joseph’s secondary school in Creggan, was judged against 36 other Roses at the regional finals.

Speaking to the County Derry Post, the 27 year old said she was shocked when she heard her name called out: “The competition was really tough and I thought everyone was superb, I really didn’t think I was going to get through, but I was absolutely delighted when my name was called out.

“My father and sisters were really proud of me, you could just see it in their eyes, and they were on the edge of their seats throughout as there was such a high level of competition.”

Catherine is now looking forward to the final in August.

 “I have always dreamt about entering the Rose of Tralee and if I won it, I would just be blown away.

“If I won it would be such an achievement and would also be great for my school.

“I am really excited about the final in August, although just getting to the final is like a win to me-anything else will be an added bonus.”

A seriously ill baby was thrown a precious lifeline yesterday when a top US hospital confirmed a date for life saving treatment.

By Connla Young

connla@derrypost.com

Little Katie Maguire from Magherafelt suffers from intractable epilepsy which causes her to have of dozens of seisures every day.

The nine-month-old also suffers from cerebral palsy and is so sick she can’t smile, swallow or see.

Her parents Gary McCann and Mekila Maguire care for their sick daughter 24 hours a day and are currently trying to raise £250,000 to pay for the cost of specialist treatment at Memorial Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

The Magherafelt couple last night said they are ‘over the moon’ that a date for Katie to travel to the US for treatment has finally been confirmed as August 20.

Last night her dad Gary said the family is praying that Katie’s health holds up.

“Katie’s seisures are getting more and more vigorous so we are going to try to get her out there earlier. If she is too sick to fly at that time the chances of getting another date might be very slim.”

The delighted dad thanked everyone who has helped the family so far and urged people to continue to get behind Katie’s fundraising campaign.

Meanwhile, brave Tracey Loane raised £1000 for Katie by getting her hair shaved off at the weekend.

The 19-year-old Magherafelt woman said: “I wanted to have my head shaved so I could raise as much money for Katie as possible, but I was nervous.

“I am so pleased I did it in the end though because Katie’s parents were so grateful.”

A series of fundraising events for Katie’s campaign will be held in Dungiven this Friday.

A Magherafelt teacher has been named the best primary school teacher in Northern Ireland.

By David Friel

info@derrypost.com

Mrs Ciara O’Neill of St Brigids Primary School, Magherafelt, won Primary School Teacher of the Year in Northern Ireland at the weekend annual UK Teaching Awards.

The Teaching Awards is a celebration of teaching and learning with the guiding principal is to recognise excellent teachers and share their expertise.

Mrs O’Neill’s achievements can be put into perspective when you consider that every primary school teacher in Northern Ireland was eligible for the award.

The pupil who nominated Mrs O’Neill for the award said she was a great music teacher.

‘Me and my sister want to nominate Mrs O’Neill because she is a fantastic P.1 teacher and music teacher.

“In assembly she teaches the whole school African songs and tells us all about classical composers.

“At choir we have great fun because she makes us do funny dances and exercises to help us to sing better. 

“In P.1 Mrs O’Neill sings her lessons all the time.  My wee sister sings them all at home, that’s how she learns everything! 

“She teaches P.1s yoga and meditation and has fantastic ideas.

“We love Mrs O’Neill and we want her to win.”

Environment chiefs were slammed last night after they failed to take samples after a serious pollution incident in Draperstown.

By Connla Young

Connla@derrypost.com

The criticism came after human sewage leaked into the River Moyola near the town earlier this month.

The river’s crystal clear waters were turned into a mucky torrent of raw human waste after a suspected leak at a nearby waste water treatment works.

It is believed human waste leaked into a stream which in turn made its way into the river. 

The pollution incident was discovered by local anglers on June 1 and was immediately reported to the Department of the Environment.

It is understood the issue came to light after human waste was spotted in river the Mullanavoo Road ford, just outside the town.

It has emerged that DoE officials failed to take samples of the polluted water when they arrived at the scene.

Michael McGlade, who is a committee member of Moyola Angling Club, last night insisted DoE officials should have taken samples and that more should be done to ensure there is no repeat of the leak that sparked the environmental alert.

“This incident offers further evidence that there needs to be an independent environmental watchdog,” he said. “This happened just after the minister confirmed there would be no independent body set up to investigate such incidents.

“Despite this Moyola Angling Association would encourage members of the public to report any incidents of pollution they come across. If anyone wants more information they should visit our website on www.moyolaangling.com.”

A spokesperson for the DoE explained that Northern Ireland Water Ltd was informed of the incident after the leak was traced back to its waste treatment works at Draperstown. The spokesperson added that an investigation was ongoing.