Galway Cycle 2022 for Heart Children

The Maynooth University Students for Charity - Galway Cycle will take place on April 8th-10th 2022, and we are proud to announce that all funds raised will go directly to Heart Children.

Over 200 cyclists, collectors, and support crew will participate in the the cross-country return trip from Maynooth University, Co Kildare to Eyre Square, Galway.

About Heart Children…..

Heart Children is the national organisation that supports children born with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) and their families. CHD is term that covers a range of defects present in the structure of a baby’s heart at birth. This defects affect the way the organ works and how blood is pumped around the body. CHDs can vary from mild to severe and no two children have the same diagnosis.

Our mission is to help these children live the best life possible in hospital, at home and in school and to support the whole family unit while they are on the same journey. See www.heartchildren.ie.

Background

Congenital Heart Disease is the most common birth defect and every year, 5-600 babies are born in Ireland with the condition. The diagnosis is hugely stressful for parents, both psychologically, financially and practically. Some children make a full recovery after an initial surgery. Others face a lifetime of hospital visits and repeated surgeries which are required to sustain their lives.

CoaguChek Programme:

Heart Children's CoaguChek Programme funds self-test devices to children which allow them check their warfarin levels from home through finger-prick blood testing without needing to make regular visits to hospital.

The children/families we support live in all corners of the country, many located far from general hospitals. The taking of bloods, using needles, finding blood veins, etc can be very time consuming and traumatic and the simplicity of doing it safely from home (especially in Covid times), by a parent, using finger-prick testing, is less emotionally draining and more effective for the child and the whole family unit.

The cost of supplying a CoaguChek machine to a child/family is approx. €500. Requests for the devices are made by the Clinical Nurse Specialists in the Children’s Heart Centre, CHI Crumlin. They assess each family’s need, financial resources and suitability to receive funding. In 2021, requests for the devices increased by 375%, largely driven by Covid, and this trend is likely to continue.

The success of the programme will be in the number of devices that we are able to fund to children living with Congenital Heart Disease, over the next five years. Some children will remain on Warfarin medication for life and will need a device permanently. Others, will be on the medication short-term and when they are finished, their CoaguChek device is returned to Crumlin and recycled to benefit another patient.

Funding from the Galway Cycle would provide surety that we can continue to support children and families and their continuing care post discharge from hospital following major surgery for several years to come. The provision of the CoaguChek device reduces infection risk for children with lower immunity who will no longer need to regularly access a hospital setting; reduce trauma for children facing regular blood test and generally reduced the stress in the life of a family caring for a child with a long-term illness.

Fundraising totals due in March 2022, including your registration fee:

- Collector €60

- Student Cyclist (any university) €200

- Galway Cycle Alumni Cyclist (Maynooth University Alumni and GC Alumni) €350

- Unaffiliated Cyclist €400

COVID Compliance

The event organisers will be putting in place measures to ensure compliance with public health guidance and to prevent the spread off COVID-19, and all participants are expected to adhere to these measures as part of their participation. Such measures will include (but are not limited to):

• All participants are required to hold a valid EU Digital COVID Certificate for training and event participation
• Size limits on training groups (in line with Cycling Ireland guidance), and pod membership being strictly maintained to limit contacts.
• Collection of contact information for contact tracing via the Cycling Ireland platform for same.
• Social distancing, and mandatory wearing of face coverings should distancing prove not to be viable

Important dates for cyclists to remember: 

DATES FOR JERSEYS: If you register for the Galway Cycle on or before midnight Feb 7th your cycling jersey will have your name printed on it. All those registering after this date won't have their name on their jersey, and are not guaranteed a jersey.

MANDATORY TRAINING CYCLES:

Mandatory training weekends will take place on each of Feb 12th/13th and 19th/20th, and March 5th/6th and 12th/13th. Cyclists must attend one mandatory cycle in each of February and March.

FAQs

Where can I contact the organiser with any questions?

Email registration@galwaycycle.ie or president@galwaycycle.ie with any questions you may have

Is my registration/ticket transferrable?

No. All the details you entered in the registration form are unique to you. Please contact registration@galwaycycle.ie for more information

Can I update my registration information?

Please email registration@galwaycycle.ie if you need to amend a detail

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Yes. If you have your confirmation details on your phone/printed out it will make registration on the morning of the cycle run a lot smoother.