Toddler honoured by Irish dancers

Callum McCorriston has been diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, causing his muscles to waste away and slowly paralysing his body as he grows up. His sister Caitlin attends the McGuiness school of Irish Dancing in Limavady, who held a pair of special dancing nights at the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in aid of a charity dedicated to Callum’s illness. His mother Laura Smith and the rest of his family have been spending all their spare time trying to raise money for ‘Action Duchenne’, a charity providing them with help and support, as well as working towards a cure for Callum’s untreatable illness. When the Limavady boy was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, his young mother had never heard of the illness, let alone how to deal with it. Mum Laura has since been in contact with ‘Action Duchenne’, who bring parents whose children have been diagnosed with Duchenne together in order to provide one another with help and support. The charity also spend much of their donated money on funding scientific research into the illness, in the hope that one day a cure might be developed for the untreatable disorder. The recent charity performances, held by the McGuiness School of Irish Dancing, raised £1,300 for Action Duchenne. Callum’s mother Laura said: “It was absolutely brilliant, fantastic. I couldn’t believe it when they presented us with a cheque for £1,300. We are absolutely delighted. “The dancing was so, so good. Some of them were as young as five-years-old, and you want to have seen them dancing - brilliant. “On the second night we were called on to the stage and presented with the cheque, and my fiancée Paul McCorriston, Callum’s father, gave a speech. “Don’t ask me what he said – I was too busy crying to hear him! I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. People here have been fantastic to us, I think when the see the actual person there in front of them, and I think because Callum is so small, it really pulled at everyone’s heart strings. “Overall, it was a great night’s craic. Caitlin done brilliantly with her dancing – she had to step in for another girl who had an injury, and she didn’t really know the dance, but she done absolutely brilliantly. “She has helped so much, she is at an age where she understands all about it and she wants to help. If she wasn’t in that dancing class, we wouldn’t have had all this. She has done so much for her wee brother already – she couldn’t have done much more. She did a great job, all the girls were fantastic – especially the older ones who I think understand it a bit better.” Speaking to the Sentinel a few weeks ago, she explained the importance of charity fund-raising nights such as the one orgainsed by the McGuiness School of Irish Dancing: “There is no cure for Duchenne, the only treatment is steroids once he becomes frail walking. He might get another six months walking out of it. The government won’t fund any research so it all has to be done through charity.” She added: “I think an important thing is raising awareness about the disease and about the work the charity are doing. I mean, I hadn’t heard of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy until Callum was diagnosed. The more people know about the charity and the disease then maybe more people will sponsor my fiancée for the para-glide” Paul McCorriston is hoping to take part in a charity para-glide. To sponsor Paul for his charity para-glide, text Action Glide to 70003. 100 per cent of the money will be donated to Action Duchenne.