PEOPLE ACROSS south west Wexford are giving their full support to a teenage hurling star from the area who is currently seriously ill in hospital.

Rory Whelan (13), who is a valued member of the St. Mogue’s GAA club in Fethard-on-Sea and a member of the County U14 panel, is being treated in Temple Street Children’s hospital having been diagnosed three weeks ago with Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

It’s a condition where the immune system attacks the body’s nervous system and Rory is under heavy sedation at the moment as he receives treatment for the illness.

He is a son of Helen Curran and Paul Whelan, who are a private, well respected couple in the Fethard-on-Sea area.

Helen’s cousin, Ann Marie Bates, decided to set up a Go Fund Me campaign to help Rory and his parents on what is likely to be a long road of rehabilitation and the response from local people has been overwhelming.

“It’s been unbelievable the way people have got behind it,” said Anne Marie.

“People had asked me is there a fund campaign or some way they could help and that’s when I decided to set it up and people have been coming up with all sorts of fundraising ideas to help Rory which everyone very much appreciates,” she added.

There is a collection bucket located in Dillon’s Supermarket in Fethard-on-Sea for anyone who would like to contribute but who don’t have access to the online campaign.

A Sixth Class pupil in Poulfur National School, Rory lives and breathes sport with a particular passion for hurling – for which he has an outstanding talent.

The onset of Guillain-Barré Syndrome has rather ordinary symptoms and up to three weeks ago Rory was running around and training as normal.

However, he began to feel unwell and doctors initially thought he had a chest infection but his condition quickly deteriorated over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

He was admitted to Wexford General Hospital and from there transferred to Temple Street Children’s Hospital where he remains at the moment.

Anyone wishing to donate to the fund can do so through the webpage: www.gofundme/Rory’s Road To Recovery.