MINNEAPOLIS – A Twin Cities girl is returning to her hometown to raise money and give hope to others on an uplifting journey.
MINNEAPOLIS – A Twin Cities girl is returning to her hometown to raise money and give hope to others on an uplifting journey.
This Saturday, 8-year-old Ireland Larson will attend a game at Target Field as part of Ireland Hope Day at the ballpark, a fundraiser for the Minnesota Twins' foundation. .
That is correct. The St. Louis Park native has a foundation named after her.
“It's pretty cool. Pretty cool. Really cool, actually,” Ireland told KARE 11 on Thursday.
Ireland's Hope, started by Ireland's aunt, Patty O'Connor, is dedicated to raising awareness and registration of organ donors in the United States, as well as supporting children undergoing or recovering from a pediatric heart transplant in the United States. It also provides financial support to families with young children. this part of the country.
Irish mother Kathleen Larson said: “We are so grateful and hope we can impact the lives of many other families through our trip to Ireland.”
And my journey to Ireland was neither simple nor short. Born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome, Ireland had to undergo her first open heart surgery when she was just six weeks old. By the time Ireland was four years old, she had already undergone three open heart surgeries. She lived in the hospital for many years until October 11, 2015.
“I had a heart birthday because I got a new heart,” Ireland said.
That new heart gave Ireland new life, and her aunt wanted to give that love and opportunity to another family.
“Focus on medical care, the comfort of your child, your other children, your spouse, your family. And don't worry about all the other stressors in that moment. So, if we can, we can “You can shift your focus to your family and take some of the stress and burden off,'' Kathleen said.
The Larson family continues to live in Chicago while Ireland receives post-transplant care, but that hasn't stopped the family from returning to Minnesota for Twins fundraisers. And that didn't stop Ireland from reuniting with friends and family, including “The Dude,” at the hospital.
“I love that he's my best friend. I love that he's 'The Dude,'” Ireland said of the in-house entertainer at Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota.
Ireland joined the entertainer's show on Thursday, laughing and cracking jokes. It's a childish thing to do, learning to find joy in your own journey while also finding ways to give to others.
“My foundation is going to allow people to donate money to other people who need it,” Ireland said.
For more information about Ireland's Hope, please visit: www.irelandshope.org. There you can find details about the Minnesota Twins' fundraiser and concert featuring Minnesota native John Storm on May 6th at Fine Line Music Cafe. Storm is donating a portion of the proceeds from the event to Irish Hope. You can also find out more about the song “Send Me An Angel” written for Ireland.
