The 1½ million children attending schools throughout the island were yesterday asked to contribute €1 or £1 next month to mark Ireland's inaugural Children for Children Day.
Launching the Children for Children Foundation in Ennis, Co Clare yesterday, former Taoiseach and foundation chairman, Mr Albert Reynolds, made the appeal to children North and South to contribute on October 15th.
The money is to fund a tele-medicine link between Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin, and the world-renowned St Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The research hospital is a world leader in the successful management of childhood cancers and the tie-up will be the first collaboration between St Jude's and a European country. Yesterday, the Minister of State for Children, Mr Brian Lenihan, announced €250,000 in Government funding. Mr Reynolds revealed that US banker Mr John Murphy is to contribute €500,000 towards providing the technology.
With the North's former education minister, Mr Martin McGuinness in attendance, Mr Reynolds announced that the foundation on its first day has raised €800,000. If an Irish child needs care only available at St Jude's, this care can be provided free at the US hospital.
