Irish charity aid for shipping to Ukraine – and intended to bring refugees to Ireland on the return journey

Critical aid for war-ravaged Ukraine is being sent via an Irish children’s charity – with two BUMBLEance drivers to bring a Ukrainian refugee family back to Ireland on the journey back.

The Kerry-based charity will make a delivery of essential supplies including medical equipment, children’s clothes, stuffed animals and blankets to the Polish-Ukrainian border.

It aims to support Ukrainian families who had to flee with their children from the Russian invasion and bombing of Ukrainian cities to the safety of neighboring countries including Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia and Romania.

BUMBLEance is part of the Saoirse Foundation, a registered non-profit charity dedicated to supporting sick children.

The Saoirse Foundation was established in 2010 by husband and wife team from Kerry, Tony and Mary Heffernan, after their daughter Saoirse was diagnosed with Batten disease (Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses – NCL) – a rare and deadly neurological condition.

Tony and Mary, who live in Keel, Castlemaine, were given no information, they had no idea what to expect and they didn’t know where to seek help.

Saoirse died in 2011 at the age of just five.

Determined to spare other families this experience, Tony and Mary became advocates for families with children with rare and genetic disorders.

Her awareness activities and medical research initiatives led to the creation of the Saoirse Foundation, a registered charity.

When Liam, the Heffernan’s second child, was also diagnosed with Batten’s disease, the foundation expanded to a second project, BUMBLEance.

The National Child Rescue Service was officially launched in 2013.

It was the world’s first rescue service designed and tailored exclusively for children.

In 2014, Liam became the very first patient to travel aboard BUMBLEance as he traveled home from the hospital for the final time on his Angel Trip.

Little Liam passed away in May 2014.

Over the past decade, BUMBLEance has helped hundreds of Irish children and their families – a fitting legacy for Saoirse and Liam.

Now BUMBLEance wants to help Ukrainian children suffering from the horrific aftermath of war.

Once vital aid has arrived at the Ukrainian border, BUMBLEance drivers Áine Phelan and Paul Stanley will return a Ukrainian family seeking refuge to Ireland.