Thomas Byrne Burke said he and his mum paid Liz a visit while she was in hospice care, which inspired him to start the fundraiser for the Galway Hospice Foundation
Liz Kavanagh(Image: RIP.ie)
A young boy has begun his own fundraiser in memory of Liz Kavanagh, with all funds being donated to the hospice that cared for her before she tragically passed away.
Thomas Byrne Burke, who previously launched a GoFundMe to raise money for the Galway Autism Partnership, said he was inspired to start the fundraiser after dropping in a present to Liz while she was in hospice care.
The ten-year-old, who has autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, said he heard his mum, who called Liz a ‘true warrior’, talk about the young woman and her health problems. He explained that it was the first time he had ever heard the word ‘hospice’, and later popped in with his mum to visit Liz and her husband, Kieran.
It was during that visit when Thomas’ mum spoke about her own experience with hospice, as her Nanny Lydon also passed away under specialist palliative care. His mum said she had the ‘pleasure’ of sleeping next to her the night before she died, which inspired her son to start a fundraiser for the ‘amazing’ foundation.
He added that any donation will help make an impact to give thanks to the hospice team that cared for Liz, and has set his goal at €1,300.
His fundraiser reads: “My name is Thomas Byrne Burke. I am back again, but this time I am 10 years old. My last GoFundMe was for Galway Autism Partnership. I am Autistic, ADHD, and Dyslexic and very proud. I have a very caring personality. When my mom spoke about Liz, I was very interested, and it was my first time ever hearing the word Hospice.
“My mom spoke about Liz’s journey and how she was a True Warrior. When we dropped in Liz and Keiran a little present my mom spoke of how her Nanny Lydon also sadly passed away in Hospice and my mom had the pleasure of sleeping there on her last nights sleep.
“I would like to fundraise for this amazing foundation, so I’m raising money to benefit GALWAY HOSPICE FOUNDATION, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.
“My mom always reminds me it’s free to send a text, free to smile, and free to be kind. Let’s give thanks back on behalf of IG followers of Liz to the Team of Hospice. Thank you.”
Liz sadly passed away earlier this week after a battle with colon cancer. She was told she first had cancer towards the end of 2024, and had bravely been fighting the disease up until she passed. Her Instagram account, where she used to share updates about her condition and chemotherapy treatments, has over 30,000 followers.
Want to see more of the stories you love from RSVP ? To add RSVP as a preferred source of news on Google, simply click here
