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E-mailFundraiser for stricken Kerry Family
A fundraiser will be held for the son and granddaughter of a Co. Kerry couple living in Massachusetts at the Kerry Hall in Yonkers on Saturday, October 18.
Tena and Jimmy Maunsell have five children, all living beside them in Medford, Massachusetts.
The Maunsells, who have worked hard through the years to provide for their children, have a daughter who was born with cystic fibrosis and is currently rejecting a double lung transplant she received many years ago.
In the midst of supporting their daughter, Tena and Jimmy were devastated to discover that their son, Shamus, 42, has Parkinson’s disease. And on top of all that, Shamus’ seven-year-old daughter, Hannah, also has cystic fibrosis and needs to wear a feeding tube in her stomach night and day.
While Jimmy Maunsell was at work on Tuesday at his contracting job, Tena took time out of her day to speak with the Irish Voice about the difficulty the family is currently going through.
“It’s so hard on Hannah. The kids at school are always asking her what is sticking out of her clothes, the poor child,” said Tena despondently.
Although Hannah has the ability to eat, she requires the feeding tube at night to ingest certain foods and vitamins to keep her heath intact.
Two years ago, while Shamus, who works with his father, and his wife Jennifer were busy looking after Hannah’s needs and those of their other two children, they discovered the overwhelming news that Shamus showed clear signs of Parkinson’s disease.
“Ah, Shamus, the poor devil, at times we all get discouraged. It’s hard, you know, but I guess you have to take what you get,” said Tena sadly.
Shamus, like most Parkinson’s suffers, has a constant shake in his hand. Up to recently his speech was affected, but a trip to the hospital meant doctors changing his medications and, according to Tena, his speech is much better as a result.
“It was hard there for a while, his (Shamus) speech was affected. When you were talking to him on the phone you wouldn’t know what he was saying and it was very frustrating on him too, the poor devil, but now thank God after the few days at the hospital he is much clearer to understand,” said Tena.
Shamus, said Tena, is a bright spark.
“He doesn’t complain at all. He gets on with it I suppose,” she said.
Asked why his name is spelt Shamus and not the traditional Gaelic spelling (Seamus), Tena, with a hearty laugh, explains she didn’t want people in the U.S. calling her son Sea Mus.
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