Father raises £20,000 for cystic fibrosis after son’s diagnosis

A BERAGH man whose little boy was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis shortly after being born has raised more than £20,000 following a high-intensity fitness challenge at the weekend.

Marc and Zoe Boyle’s son, Koa, is bravely undergoing monthly tests and treatment for cystic fibrosis. The long-term prognosis is good for the one-year-old toddler, thanks to the research into the inherited and progressive genetic condition which causes severe damage to the longs, digestive system and other organs.

Mr Boyle undertook to complete ten HYROX in a row at the Beragh Red Knights community hub, all within 24 hours. HYROX is a fitness competition that combines eight kilometres of running and eight functional workout stations.

The Beragh man did the challenge, but not without the help of family and friends who urged him on when the going got really tough in the early hours of Sunday morning.

“Our son, Koa, was diagnosed three weeks after he was born. It was only after that when I found out that my mother had two cousins who had died from the condition nearly 50 years ago,” he said.

“It was a big shock to us at the time because obviously we didn’t know much about cystic fibrosis. Now it feels like we’ve got a degree in it. We have been in and out of the hospital every month since and to see the effort that goes into treating cystic fibrosis made me want to do something to help.”

Within days, Marc contacted campaigner Liam McHugh, from Castlederg, who has become a vibrant and enthusiastic public face for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust over many years. Mr McHugh’s efforts to fundraise and campaign for new treatments and to raise awareness are now legendary.

The Derg man was on hand, among others, to lend some much-needed support for Mark when the exhaustion from completing the ten consecutive HYROX events really began to take a toll.

Inspired

“I reached out to Liam and he really was the best person to speak with. He told me his story, and what he had achieved with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. That really inspired me to do something and after a few months I decided to do the HYROX challenge.”

As the pain of the physical challenge really hit home during the closing hours, Mark got special inspiration from knowing that the fundraising efforts would benefit both his son and so many others with cystic fibrosis.

“In the closing hours I just had to keep going and I thought that every step which I took would benefit some child. It was about keeping the head down and keeping going,” he added.

After completing last weekend’s challenge, he is now taking a well-deserved rest before perhaps embarking on another major fundraising for the charity which is now so close to both him and his family.