THE FAMILY OF Joe Slattery, a young player who suffered a life-changing injury while training with Clare hurling club Corofin/Ruan’s U16 panel last Thursday, have thanked the public for their overwhelming kindness and support.

A GoFundMe for Joe, who will require extensive, life-long care after the injury, has reached over €500,000 after receiving donations from over 5,000 people and local GAA clubs in recent days.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland today, Joe’s uncle Clive said his family will “never repay the kindness we are experiencing” and thanked those in Clare and elsewhere who have donated or sent kind messages to the family at this time.

Clive told the programme: “We’ve gone out, we asked for support and across our county Clare, from the parish to all the various clubs, the Clare GAA family in particular, have gotten the word out there by reposting and re-sharing the story and continuing to do so.

“The more people we reach, the more support we’re getting and our gratitude – we can just never repay it.”

Joe’s family described him as a “big brother, a son, a friend and a team-mate” who is “loved and respected by all who know him”. He has represented his county on U16 hurling and football panels and was recently awarded Junior Cert Student of the Year.

Clive said that the medical team who have been caring for Joe have been “brilliant” and said that he received fast, urgent care on the day of the incident. His family, Clive said, got the first understanding of the extent of his injuries last weekend.

Joe’s uncle said Saturday and Sunday last was a “dark, lonely space” but it all started to change once the outpouring of support and overwhelming amount of kindness began to come in from all over Clare and the rest of the country.

“ It’s safe to say this immediate response is beyond our wildest expectations,” Clive wrote on the GoFundMe page on Wednesday. “Thank you so much. Your support is felt by us all.”

Written by Muiris O’Cearbhaill and posted on TheJournal.ie