GERARD MELAUGH could have been forgiven for crying out of Sunday’s Michael Murphy Sports Junior Championship game with Red Hughs at Naomh Padraig, Muff.
Melaugh just landed back to Belfast at 9 o’clock in the morning from America, but managed to catch up on some sleep before heading for Ture.
It was no holiday in the Big Apple for the Finner Camp-based soldier from Killygordon.
He and his wife, Stacey, went to New York last week with their 18-month old son, Caolan, for a clinical trial.
When Caolan was just ten weeks old, he was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer.
Recently, the couple received the news that Caolan’s end-of-treatment scans, after over a year of intense chemotherapy, had come back clear, enabling him to enrol for a clinical trial, DFMO (Development of difluoromethylornithine), under the care of Dr Giselle Sholler at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For the next two years, Caolan will take a tablet twice a day that medics believe will prevent the neuroblastoma from returning. The Melaughs will also return to Michigan at regular intervals over the same time period.
[adrotate group=”38″]“It’s all going well,” Gerard told Donegal Sport Hub.
“It’s a maintenance trial. They think it’ll help keep it away now.
“We had great treatment in Crumlin. Everything is going to plan. They’re really happy with him at the minute.
“He’s busy now – he’s starting to walk about and all. He’s buzzing around the place.”
Gerard played at wing-back for Red Hughs at Ture on Sunday, as they drew, 1-9 to 0-12, with Naomh Padraig, Muff.
The Melaughs had flown into Belfast from Michigan, via Newark, overnight.
He caught up on some sleep at home and on the way to Muff before donning the jersey and lining up for the game.
The personal fight of the Melaughs has been unforgiving, but the positivity and energy with which they’ve approached their ordeal is to their eternal credit.
“It’s been tough, but sure that’s the cards we’ve been dealt,” Gerard said.
[adrotate group=”37″]“You just have to take the good out of it and plough on.
“He’s reacted very well from the start. He’s been clear for a good while, but you don’t want to say too much too early. Thank God, all’s going well.
“Hopefully now it’ll be a normal life for him. He hasn’t had that so far.”
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