The Downs NS pupils skip up €7000 for little India

Students of The Downs NS raised "a staggering €7,000", exceeding their target by €2,000, in a skipathon to help three-year-old India Smyth travel to New York for cancer treatment.

Five students at the school are cousins of India and her aunt-in-law Catherine Smyth teaches there, and fifth and sixth class pupils and their teacher Catherine Staunton took it upon themselves to organise a skipathon for the whole school.

"We recognised that it was 5,000 kilometres from Dublin, where India is living, to New York, so we thought if we could raise €5,000 it would be fantastic, a euro for every kilometre," Ms Smyth said. They exceeded their target by €2,000.

"The children worked really hard, sharing with their neighbours and their friends, and the Smyth family want to thank the people around Mullingar who have been so supportive in helping India on this journey.

"The children made a staggering €7,000 towards this fund, which is greatly appreciated," Ms Smyth added.

She explained that India has been having treatment for the last year and a half for a stage 4 neuroblastoma cancer. "Thankfully, now she is in remission and has been chosen to take part in a medical trial in the Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York, which is one of the top hospitals in the world," Ms Smyth said.

"Unfortunately, this cancer can have high recurrence and so the trial would hopefully increase her chances of staving off the illness.

"This is the way to give India every chance. She’s looking forward to getting back to school and doing all the normal stuff," here aunt-in-law added.

She said the trial is expected to last around three years and will involve India making numerous trips over and back to receive treatment.