Friends rally to help Down syndrome man with ‘heart of gold’

A group of five pals have rallied to help their friend who has Down syndrome and needs a hip replacement.

The friends, aged in their 50s, have teamed up to cycle from Maynooth to Longford in a bid to raise funds for Ethan Deane.

Alan Biggs, Alan Daniel, Bert Coughlan, Joe Kelly and Stuart Ivers aim to help Ethan get a hip replacement.

"We are 5 lazy Men (all over 50) who don’t play physical sports and like to drink alcohol, however this life of ease has been shattered by the fact that our friend Ethan Deane needs a hip replacement," said Alan Daniel, the organiser of a GoFundMe page for Ethan.

"Ethan is a fine young man aged 25 years who happens to have Down syndrome and needs a hip replacement operation, not only to allow him to walk properly but also to take away the constant pain that comes with this condition. Ethan has been and still is on a hospital waiting list for many years to get this operation completed, but we can no longer stand by and watch this fantastic lad that has the strongest personality and a heart of gold himself continue to suffer indefinitely," Alan explained. 

To raise funds for the procedure, they will cycle approximately 107 kilometres, from the Grand Canal Greenway in Maynooth to Clondra, in Longford. 

"Let’s help Ethan with this challenge He faces every day by donating some of your hard-earned cash that has always been given by our generous people when called upon. Thank you one and all," he added.

You can find the GoFundMe here.