Our little Ella-Rose lost her fight at the age of 13 months in October 2024 and passed away peacefully in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC). She had a rare metabolic disorder including a heart condition and unfortunately spent the entirety of her life in hospital. She was such a wonderful little baby who touched the hearts of many during her short time here and continues to do so even after her passing. We have been very kindly contacted with regard to fundraising by different organisations. Therefore, I have created this page in memory of Ella-Rose and to raise funds for 'The Children’s Heartbeat Trust', a truly fantastic charity.

It was such an incredibly difficult year living in hospital. Thankfully we had great support from our family and friends but even so it can be a very isolating and at times overwhelming experience. That said we wouldn't change a thing. We were fortunate to have a beautiful, brave little baby girl, who was a such gift to us. She taught us so much about life within a short time. She was a little ray of sunshine everyday, in spite of the struggles she faced. Ella-Rose's smile brought so much joy to everyone she met and she was truly inspirational to us. She brought out the very best in those who loved and cared for her. In the words of her medical team after she passed "she was a fighter" even in her final moments. We would like to honour her memory by paying forward the love and care we were shown.

The Children’s Heartbeat Trust is a charity that has supported us throughout our journey. The team provide a holistic approach including practical, emotional and financial support to children and young people living with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) in NI. It is hard to put into words the unwavering support that the team have given to us as a family. They are passionate about providing families with a unique, tailored approach, which aims to meet each individual families needs. We would be grateful for any donation to support other families like ours.

It would be remiss of me not to give our heartfelt thanks to the staff in the RBHSC, who cared very deeply for Ella-Rose. They became an extended part of our family over this past year. We know her passing was difficult for those involved in her care too. A special thank you to NiSTAR, Northern Ireland's Specialist Ambulance Service for co-ordinating all Ella-Rose's day trips home and to Dublin for her heart surgery. This vital work is also supported by the Children's Heartbeat Trust who funded a new children's ambulance in 2023.

We kindly thank St John Bosco Primary School, Ballynease for reaching out to the family and organising a 'Rainbow Day Fundraiser' in honour of Ella-Rose and The Children's Heartbeat Trust, on Friday 2nd May.

Good luck to my work colleagues at Moneymore Medical Centre who are running the Belfast Marathon on Sunday 4th May, for this worthy cause.

Also, we as a family are walking 'A Mile A Day in May,' to raise funds for this wonderful charity; Please feel free to join us!

Hopefully the video above will convey how loved Ella-Rose was and always will be. We would appreciate your support in sharing this page and you can also donate here now:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/bernadette-kearney-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=015

or alternatively to the Moneymore Medical Centre relay team:

https://childrensheartbeattrust.enthuse.com/pf/marie-mohan

All our love, The Kearney (and McCallion families) xxx.