A TOTAL OF €1.4 million has been raised from the Ice Bucket Challenge for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.
In just over a week, a further €400,000 has been raised.
‘Thank you’
Patients, staff and supporters have today put out a video thanking those that took part in the challenge of pouring ice cold water over each other.
Based on the number of donations, the IMNDA said it’s estimated that as many as half a million people across the island of Ireland deliberately drenched themselves in ice cold water to raise much needed funds for the association, which helps some 330 patients and their families deal with the challenges of motor neurone disease.
Dr. Declan Mac Daid, chairman of IMNDA said they had been “blown away by the generosity of the Irish public”.
He said the organisation watched on almost in disbelief as the total raised kept rising and rising, and people’s timelines kept filling and filling.
We cannot thank people enough for what they did. The focus now is on how the money can best be spent to deal with the needs of those living with motor neurone disease, and their families.
Spending
It is believed that 25% of the funds raised, about €350,000, will go to clinical research, led by Professor Orla Hardiman of Trinity College Dublin.
He added that the money is to be used in a variety of ways to be outlined following a detailed consultation with the IMNDA’s clients, their families, their carers and supporters of IMNDA.
“A questionnaire is in the process of being prepared which will be sent to every patient and user of the IMNDA service across Ireland to identify where the need is greatest,” he said.
McDaid added that they would like to invest in services and technology into the future, and they hope to use some of the money to establish a reserve fund to allow for the fact that the number of people being diagnosed with MND continues to rise.
He said they were committed to transparency and the spending of the money raised through the Ice Bucket Challenge will be outlined on their website, adding:
Through the generosity of the Irish public, we are now in a better position to help those people who have yet to be diagnosed.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say