Baby James Appeal
**See also ‘Save our son’
18 June 2006
“The staggering responce to our story last week was unprecedented and extremely gratifying, showing this province and its people in their finest light…” Jim Flanagan, Sunday Life editor
Literally hundreds of incredibly generous people from every corner of Northern Ireland responded to Sunday Life’s Baby James Appeal.
Within days of James’ heartbreaking story appearing last weekend, more than £30,000 had been pledged towards his life-saving surgery.
The response was overwhelming; Sunday Life staff were deluged with phone calls, emails and letters pledging support.
Never in the paper’s 18-year history has it witnessed such a response to a story.
As soon as Sunday Life hit the news-stands last weekend with little James’ photograph on the front page, people clamoured to donate cash to the appeal fund.
The public also came up with all sorts of ways to raise money - one butcher’s shop in Belfast, close to where the baby’s father, Jim, grew up, put out donation buckets.
Schoolchildren at Malone College, where James’ mother, Cathy, works, held a series of events including a BBQ and a lollipop sale and raised a staggering £10,000 in just 24 hours.
As far afield as Dundalk, a gala greyhound race night was quickly arranged.
Breeders as far away as England were auctioning off dogs to contribute to James’ appeal fund.
Even when the NHS revealed that it WOULD fund the surgery he needs, the cash still kept coming in.
It will now go towards other children suffering from leukaemia and to the cost of the family’s lengthy stay in Germany.
Dozens of messages of support were also sent to Sunday Life which have now been passed on to Jim and Cathy.
One Newtownabbey woman wrote: “Keep up your fight for little James. Praying for you at this difficult time.”
A Dungannon pensioner’s message read: “May God bless him and his family.”
And a Cookstown woman wrote: “I hope your appeal is successful and that your son James will make a speedy recovery.”
Timeline
Last Saturday morning, shortly after 11.30, Jim Hynes made the most important phone call of his life.
Little did he know then, that less than a week later, his precious son would begin treatment for a cancer which would otherwise have inevitably killed him.
The remarkable journey of hope began after the Dundrod dad contacted Sunday Life in an act of sheer desperation.
Time was running out for the youngster who faced certain death within the next three weeks.
James suffers from an acute strain of leukaemia.
His only way forward was a bone-marrow transplant in Germany - but the £100,000 cost to his family was prohibitive.
Here is how the story developed throughout the week after the family’s plea for help.
Sunday
Baby James’ heartbreaking story is featured on the front page of Sunday Life
From early morning, Sunday Life’s phones begin ringing red-hot with offers of financial assistance.
Monday
Stephen Nolan follows up the story of baby James on his morning show on Radio Ulster.
It generates so much interest, that the BBC phone system crashes.
The Baby James Appeal fund is launched with an account set up at the Bank of Ireland.
Tuesday
James’ dad and his mum, Cathy, have a meeting with his consultant at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
The consultant tells them the Eastern Health and Social Services Board has agreed to fund the £100,000 surgery costs.
Now the only thing holding them back is finding a place for him at the hospital in Germany.
When Cathy gets home, she phones the hospital directly and is told a bed will be made available on Thursday.
Wednesday
Unfortunately James’ condition has taken a turn for the worse; his face has begun to swell and he is now in a lot of pain.
James is admitted to the Royal Belfast Hospital For Sick Children and stays there overnight with his gran, Maura McCafferty.
Back at home, Jim and Cathy continue packing in preparation for tomorrow’s flight to Stuttgart.
Thursday
It’s an early start for the Hynes, who are taken by ambulance to Belfast International Airport.
Shortly before 10am, the youngster, his parents and a doctor board an air ambulance for the three-hour flight to Germany.
When they arrive at the Tubinger Children’s Hospital, the assessment of James’ condition begins.
Friday
James’ preparation for his bone-marrow transplant begins in earnest.
His parents undergo blood tests to decide which of them will be the more compatible donor.
They’ll know the results within a few days.
Yesterday
Baby James woke in good form and responding well to his medical treatment.
Jim and Cathy continue to pray that this improvement in their young son’s health continues.
