Right lads, so basically this is an auction for my own personal Boards jersey, it's from the new batch we ordered with the Lime Green colour scheme, size XL. Brand new, still in the packaging. There's a few lads who wanted one, and anyone who got their hands on one will tell you they're amazing.
The way this will work is either a) you can post a bid in the thread itself or b) you can PM me your bid, and it will stay 100% anonymous, only I will know who submitted the bid and I won't tell anyone.
So I figured I'd stick in a little spéal as to inform you of my background with cancer.
The first time I encountered it was at the ripe age of 11. Of course I wasn't aware of what it exactly meant, but I was just told my grandfather was ill. He had postponed a routine operation, because he was old fashioned and hated going to the doctors, and basically he ended up becoming very unwell, and when he finally went to the hospital, he was diagnosed with lung cancer.
I've heard many words used to describe my granda, and the one that always comes up the most is "legend." And to be honest, I couldn't think of a greater sentiment. Father of 9 children, the most hard working man you could possibly ever meet in your life. Worked in the dairies for 55 years, and even when my nanny forced him to retire, he worked as a parking steward up at the Coachmans. Dublin GAA's number one fan too. I'll never forget the day my da told him I'd lined out for Dublin for hurling when I was 14. Being one of 36 grandchildren meant there were plenty of times where you were lucky for anyone to remember your name, but I remember the sheer pride in his eyes.
He fought long and hard for 2 years, originally the doctors had told him he wouldn't last more than 3 months, but he was never going down easily. But I had seen the strong, hard working man that I knew, turn into someone fragile, and constantly tired.
Unfortunately, this was one of the many times I've had to encounter the disease, and I'm sure it's the same for everyone else.
So seeing as it was his 5th anniversary last weekend, and how inspired and touched I was by le petit braquet's story, I'm making a sacrifice of my own, in the hope that somewhere along the line it'll help somebody affected by this disease. Not even to help save them from it, but to just make their time that little bit more comfortable.
All I ask from you is some form of sacrifice, be it financially, or even material by sticking something up in the adverts like many have with the proceeds going to the charity, or even just doing the spin we have organised
here. These people and their families have given up so much more than you can imagine.
Here's a link to the charity fund le petit braquet has set up:
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/padraig_oconaills_event
