YESTERDAY SAW 15-YEAR-OLD Ben Wallace presented with a ‘Triumph Over Adversity’ award for completing his Junior Cert while undergoing chemotherapy.
The distinction came as part of the 2014 Hidden Hearing Heroes Awards.
Ben was diagnosed with leukemia in August 2011. He has since had to undergo radiation treatment for his condition.
The young student showed determination in completing his exams while a patient in Crumlin Hospital. Ben was unable to attend the Awards yesterday as he is due to receive a bone marrow transplant next week, which has been donated by his seven-year-old sister, Ava.
The award was presented by RTE personality Brenda Donohue. Speaking about the event Donohue said:
I’m extremely happy to present these very special Awards, which celebrate the triumphs of inspirational people and give them the recognition they deserve.
The awards saw people recognised in a number of different categories, including the Youth Award, the Age Is No Barrier award and the Medical Hero award.
The Age Is No Barrier award was won by Maureen Cronin for her role in having the marriage ban lifted in the 1950s. The former teacher, now 97, worked in defiance of the ban in a Limerick school for a full year without pay prior to the ban being lifted.
She became a test case for the INTO Teachers’ Union and continued to teach after the ban was lifted in 1957. Maureen, from Co Clare, continues to deliver the parish newsletter locally and writes poetry for the Clare Champion.
Hidden Hearing is a hearing aid company that has been staging the awards since 2011. Managing director of Hidden Hearing Stephen Leddy said: “Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and we’re delighted to pay tribute to these exceptional people who have demonstrated that nothing is impossible.”
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