A NORTH Belfast family have expressed their gratitude to Antrim and Newtownabbey Council for a kind gesture in memory of their late son.
Caoimhín Adams (8) from Bawnmore in Newtownabbey passed away in July after a long ilness.
Caoimhín suffered from encephalopathy, a disease affecting the functioning of the brain. He also suffered from complex epilepsy, cerebral palsy, chronic lung disease and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
In January, he was diagnosed with a condition known as ROHHAD (rapid-onset obesity with hypothalamic dysregulation, hypoventilation, and autonomic dysregulation), an illness with no cure or options for treatment that meant his body was slowly shutting down. Caoimhín was the only person in Ireland to have this diagnosis.
Caoimhín passed away on July 9, just hours after a fun day with family, friends and the local community.
Following his passing, mum Caitriona was contacted by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council and invited to the Lord Mayor's parlour for a reception, which the whole family attended this week.
"About four weeks after Caoimhín passed away, I was contacted by Councillor Mark Cooper, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, to invite us up to his parlour," she explained.
"We went up this week. PSNI community officers who were also at fun day were there too. There was a spread of food on. It was absolutely beautiful.
"Council were at Caoimhín’s fun day before he passed away and brought a photographer. At the parlour, we were presented with a book of photographs that were taken at the fun day. It is absolutely beautiful."
A book of Caoimhín's fun day just before he passed away was presented to the family by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council
Caitriona also revealed that Antrim and Newtownabbey Council have agreed a number of other gestures in memory of her son.
"To top things off, Council have agreed to build a bench at Loughshore in memory of Caoimhín. Council offices will also be lit up orange on Caoimhín’s anniversary next year.
"Caoimhin’s story was a real community one and these gestures are another example of that. I am really taken back that the Council has come together and agreed to keep Caoimhin’s legacy alive.
"From the start when we found out Caoimhin had these conditions which were very rare, we set out as a family to raise awareness but in a happy and positive way.
"We have lost Caoimhin who was so precious to us but when people come together and something is done in memory of a child, words cannot describe it. It is unimaginable. I am so proud of Caoimhin and all my family.
"I can’t thank Antrim and Newtownabbey Council and the community PSNI for what they have done for me and my family at a time of such grief."
