Mayo man Lyndon Jones from Westport is currently on a special journey.

Together with his brohter-in-law Cathal Thomas, Lyndon is walking from his home in Westport to Dublin.

It's a charity walk in memory of Lyndon's late baby son Lachlan who passed away in February this year.

Lyndon and his wife Michelle lost Lachlan after only twelve weeks. He was born with an extremely rare diagnosis, and immediately brought to Holles Street Hospital in Dublin first, and then Temple Street Hospital.

In fact, Lachlan's condition was so rare, that the doctors thought Lachlan was the only baby in Ireland with the condition. A one in ten million situation.

Full story: Mayo father to walk 270km for charity in memory of his late baby boy

Lyndon and Michelle are incredibly grateful to two charities: The Children's Health Foundation and Hugh's House. To raise funds for these organisations Lyndon is walking the 270km distance to the capital.

The Mayo News checked in with him, after making the halfway-line on the journey, about 150 kilometres in.

"It's a nice distraction from the various different bits that are sore," says Lyndon, answering our phone call. "On day two my calf kind of started to seize up a bit, but that's all sorted now. Now my shin is a bit sore. We'll deal with it."

Lyndon and Cathal are on the Royal Canal Greenway now, across the Shannon.

"The fundraiser stands at over €30,000. I'm naturally delighted with that. It's amazing. So grateful for all the support. People are making a real difference. That money is going to go to two really good charities."

And they feel it along the way out on the road. There was huge support until they crossed the Shannon. For example Connacht Rugby brought support vehicles, a van in front of them and a car behind them, as they were out on the main roads.

Lyndon and Cathal avoided the main roads through Frenchpark to Strokestown as they're too windy and busy, simply too dangerous.

"So we cut across some back roads around Frenchpark and then they brought us all the way along around the back of down into Strokestown as well. So that was actually on that leg of it we actually we were going down a tiny little country road and we met a lady who was just chatting to us on the street and she just gave us a few quid for the charity."

And then they met a family which had actually spotted the Connacht Rugby van and the boy and the girl, the two kids were rugby players with Carrick-on-Shannon. So they had juice and water set up for the walkers at their gate. And they had a great little chat with them.

"Then yesterday actually when we were on the famine way from Strokestown and there was a postman delivering letters and he just stopped over and asked us what we were at and he gave us a few quid for the charity as well. People are lovely."

Lyndon says, their aim today is to end up at Dolan's Bridge just outside Mullingar. He adds, if they get to that today they're still on time. 

How can you donate for the charities?

If you want to donate money for The Children's Health Foundation and Hugh's House: Click HERE.

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