THE Limerick-based Share A Dream Foundation moved Heaven and Earth last week to make a 17-year-old Dubliner’s final dream come true.
Josh Dillon had suffered all his life with Muscular Dystrophy Duchenne, a life-limiting muscle wasting disease without ever complaining and accepted life for what it was.
His passion was football and he dreamed of being a top class soccer player like his cousin, soccer international Robbie Brady. He achieved this dream in his own way by becoming an expert FIFA Xbox player.
When doctors told his parents last week that Josh was deteriorating rapidly, the family tried desperately to make his final days as memorable as they could.
When they asked Josh what his dream come true would be, he told them his only dream was to play the new FIFA 19 game, which will not be released until the end of September.
Josh’s mum Catherine, family and friends knew they had to do whatever it took to make his dream come true and using social media contacts and every possible avenue, they finally accepted this was an impossible dream to fulfil with the time they had left.
They were then told to contact Shay Kinsella of the Share a Dream Foundation in Limerick to see if he cold wave his magic wand just as he has done for thousands of seriously ill children in Ireland.
With only a window of less than 48-hours to make this dream happen, Shay knew time was running out and he and his team immediately got to work.
After 16 hours and a sleepless night last Thursday, they brought Josh’s dream closer to reality, thanks to the support of Gary Molloy of EA SPORTS in Galway and permission from EA Sports Vancouver.
However, it was heartache for all when his medical team decided Josh was not strong enough to travel by car from Dublin to Galway and it seemed the dream was not going to happen.
But once again, Shay Kinsella came to the rescue. Through the intervention of Ken Dillon and Sky High Aviation, Josh and his family were airlifted to EA Sports in Galway.
All the team at EA Sports welcomed Josh and his family giving them a tour of the facility before taking Josh to a special room to spend one and a half hours playing the new FIFA 19 with his brother Ryan and EA game testers.
He then received a video conference call from the two executive producers of FIFA in Vancouver and they spent 30 minutes going into detail about the latest FIFA game.
Sadly, Josh passed away last Sunday just two days after his final dream came true.
Share a Dream thanked all the many people who came on board with very short notice to help make Josh’s dream come true.
“It is unbelievable that Share a Dream Limerick and especially Shay Kinsella would reach out to make Josh’s dream come true. The absolute happiness and wonderful memory we will cherish forever. We are forever grateful,” Josh’s mum Catherine commented this week.
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