Part I – The Karen Hamill Fundraising Appeal
Take two seconds to ask yourself a very simple question: ‘What do I use the internet for?’
It’s a pretty straightforward question and no doubt you will have the answer within moments – Facebook, e-mail, college research, work, online gaming, staying in touch with friends and family.
Most of us will use the internet for several if not all of these reasons, we are creatures of habit and the internet is officially one of our biggest.
However there is so much more to the internet than a few hours wasted checking crops or instant messaging the person you have a crush on – it is an instant gateway to information, it allows complete strangers from polar opposite ends of the globe to be in touch instantly, it can and has shaped the way we live our lives daily.
The Internet is a powerful tool that can be used to help others, raise awareness and offer support and guidance to people and in our new feature the @rcade will highlight just how it does this and who are the people using the Internet to help others.
There are so many worthwhile causes out there and it is not an easy thing to just pick one but the first one we look at is one that is rather close to us here at the @rcade. A good friend of ours brought this appeal to our attention, the Karen Hamill Fundraising Appeal, a family trying to save their daughter from a serious medical condition.
Karen Hamill is 27 years old and she is currently battling a serious disease she contracted on her way home from a trip. Karen and her boyfriend were returning home from New Zealand, in Vietnam while travelling, she contracted a strain of Encephalitis.
Karen
“Encephalitis literally means an inflammation of the brain, but it usually refers to brain inflammation caused by a virus. It’s a rare disease that occurs in approximately 0.5 per 100,000 individuals”
The family are reaching out to people through various means but their appeal online has captured the hearts and thoughts of people from Ireland and all around the world, we spoke to Richard, Karen’s cousin,
“While the past few weeks have been some of the most stressful and painful for us as a family, it has been so amazing to see the outpouring of kindness, not just from friends but total strangers. Obviously I can’t reveal specifics but we’ve been getting considerable donations from people half way around the world who just stumbled upon our Facebook page. That wouldn’t have been possible before widespread internet use, certainly not without huge media attention. We have a voice that millions around the world can hear.”
As you are reading this Karen is currently lying on a hospital bed in the city of Ho Chi Min, there her mother who flew out to be with her and her boyfriend wait watch and hope she will pull through the ordeal.
The disease has caused Karen to suffer from a stroke, multiple seizures and she is currently suffering with pneumonia, all of these have caused her to suffer brain damage, the extent of which cannot be assessed yet. This is a situation no one would like to see another person experience but the fact of the matter is that is Karen is currently in this condition and she and her family need your help.
The insurance company who would be handling Karen’s situation have disallowed her claim as some underlying terms and conditions were not complied with and now her family are facing huge medical bills. Every few days Marie, Karen’s mother, is presented with a bill, her daily treatment and care is costing around €2,000 a day.
This appeal is to help with those bills and the inevitable rehabilitation Karen will need when she is finally brought home to her family here in Ireland.
Speaking to Richard it is very obvious how hard the family are working to ensure Karen receives the best treatment, “With the help of donations, we are dealing with the day-to-day costs of Karen’s care, which are themselves considerable. However, we are also faced with future costs that dwarf those. Even when, please God, Karen is deemed fit to fly home, it will have to be under the supervision of medical professionals on a specialised air ambulance. To prepare for this, we are already seeking quotes, the most generous of which is in the region of 86,000 sterling (€101,566). Even after that, she’ll need aftercare, rehabilitative therapy etc. So, as I’m sure you can imagine, we’ve a lot of fundraising ahead of us.”
A lot of talk in this country has been about the financial crisis and the state of our economy and how we as a nation will drag ourselves out of this mess – we understand that everyone is having a tough time lately but we ask that your spare some thought for Karen Hamill and her family. As a people, we are known for her generosity and our ability to put others before ourselves, Karen’s family need your help. Christmas is known as the Season for giving and we hope that you will join in us in not only offering our thoughts and prayers for Karen but you might show some generosity and donate whatever you can afford – every single cent counts towards ensuring Karen is looked after.
If you would like more information on the appeal, please click the following link: Karen Hamill Fundraising Appeal
Please take the time to share this article with your friends and family, you can also show your support for Karen and her family on their Facebook page which is available here: Fundraiser for Karen
If you would like to donate to the appeal then there are two options in which you can help –
Online
Click this link – Karen Hamill Appeal Fund – PayPal
Bank
Permanent TSB
A/C – The Karen Hamill Appeal
A/C No. – 18241106
Sort Code – 99-06-20
IBAN – IE06IPBS-990620-18241106
Swift – IPBSIE2D
A fundraising event is taking place on Monday 13th December in the Church Café Bar & NiteClub from 6.30pm – live music, dj and prizes.
Entry is €5 so if you can attend please come along and show your support.
If you are involved with a charity/campaign/fundraising event and you are using the internet to help with your work we would love to get involved to help you reach more people and highlight your cause – if you would like to get in touch please send an email to editor@the-arcade.ie
