Kiltoom tractor run in aid of Conor Burke appeal

A tractor run will take place this Sunday, January 9, in Kiltoom to raise funds to send a young Athlone man to Barcelona for life-saving surgery.

22-year-old Conor Burke from Bealnamulla has been given an overall diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) which is a group of rare inherited conditions which has left him wheelchair-bound and facing a myriad of severe health problems.

His family have set up a GoFundMe page on his behalf in the hope of raising the estimated €160,000 needed for specialised spinal fusion surgery at a clinic in Barcelona during the summer.

The fundraising appeal now stands at over €16,000 but Creggs-based agricultural contracting company, Gannon Agri Contractors, have now stepped in to organise a tractor run event in a bid to boost the GoFundMe appeal for the young Athlone student.

Registration for next Sunday’s Tractor Run takes place from 1pm sharp on Sunday next, at €20 per tractor and the convoy of tractors will set out at 2pm from Ballybay Church in Kiltoom along a route that will take in Ballybay, Kiltoom, Monksland, Bealnamulla and Curraghboy and will finish back at Ballybay.

The organisers are hoping that their fundraising event will attract participants and spectactors from a wide catchment area and are promising a great afternoon of fun and entertainment for all the family. Conor Burke is a 4th year student at the Technological University Dublin, studying International Business and Languages, but has been forced to complete his final year online due to the severity of his illness.

His family feel his only hope of slowing down the progression of his disease is to avail of a highly-specialised and costly spinal surgical procedure which is only available in Barcelona. They are not entitled to any financial assistance from the HSE for this procedure.