A fund-raising campaign is underway to help a seriously ill baby boy who has fought back from the brink

By Declan Magee, Donegal Democrat

November 2009

Little Christian McCullagh from Raphoe was born five-weeks premature with a blocked bladder which has caused kidney problems resulting in the need for a transplant. Such is his condition, he was not expected to live for more than a few days.

On the day after he was born, Christian was christened and on that same night, staff at Letterkenny General Hospital told his parents to say their good-byes as he was not expected to survive to the morning.

But the 20-month-old boy has fought against the odds to the amazement of medical staff and has just started dialysis after having a kidney removed earlier this month.

“Christian was not given a hope at all after he was born,” his father Gary said. “He was baptised and we had talk of autoposies and post-mortems. He wouldn’t take to the machine he was put on but when it was turned off he didn’t go. He was very, very weak and another machine was brought up from Dublin in an ambulance and that brought him round. He has survived even though he has been through a lot,” Gary said.

Christian has spent 14 weeks in hospital, including two weeks on life-support, and has had several operations including one which widened a valve in his heart. He is now also hooked up to a dialysis machine for eight to 12 hours, for anything from four to seven days a week. He will continue on the dialysis until he is old enough to have a transplant, but that could still be two years away. Parents Aileen and Gary and his sister Rocha are delighted at having him home for prolonged periods after so much time spent in Dublin.

Family and friends of the McCullaghs have organised a charity boxing event, Lord of the Rings, which will raise money for Christian’s care and for the nephro-urology ward at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin. Gary - who has picked up Ulster senior and intermediate-level titles in boxing - is coaching local men, many who had never stepped into a ring before, for the big night on November 14th when 12 bouts will be fought at Deele College, Raphoe.