Community rallies for Eoin with ‘Shine a Light’ walk
Eoin Egan was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in June 2020.
A County Roscommon man’s remarkable story in pioneering a thought-controlled wheelchair after receiving a groundbreaking brain implant has inspired a group of former classmates from his native Moore to organise a community solidarity walk on Friday, July 10th.
Eoin Egan (43), who has lived and worked in London since 2009, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in June 2020.
Last December, Eoin became one of just 23 people worldwide - and the only Irish patient - to receive a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) implant as part of a clinical trial.
The implant, fitted during a six-hour surgery, connects to his laptop computer via Bluetooth and enables him to control it using thought alone by interpreting brain signals linked to imagined movement.
Within days of the surgery, Eoin, alongside his wife Jenny and sister Ethel, adapted the technology to operate his wheelchair.
Their innovation, developed in conjunction with German assistive technology company, Homebrace, has led to what is believed to be the first successful demonstration of a wheelchair controlled purely by thought.
Since the Roscommon Herald shared his amazing story in May, the father-of-two said he has been “overwhelmed” by the huge level of support and good wishes.
Now, his former 1995 classmates from St. Ciaran’s National School in Moore have come together to organise a 5k ‘Shine a Light for Eoin’ solidarity walk at Moore United soccer grounds on Friday - an event he is well aware of and greatly appreciates.
Speaking to the Herald, Eoghan Kenny, one of the walk’s organisers, said the idea came from fellow former classmate John Greene after he read Eoin’s story in the Herald.
John then contacted other former classmates and what began as a simple gesture of support has now grown into something much bigger, with the wider community coming on board in significant numbers.
Fundraising events are now being planned to support Eoin and his family, which include an online fundraising page and a community spinathon taking place in September.
During Friday night’s walk, the pitch will be lit up with lights and candles, and the event will be recorded so that Eoin and his family will be able to see the outpouring of support from the community. Most of the 29 pupils who were in his 1995 class are expected to be present on the night.
For the walk organisers, the most important aspect of the event is ensuring Eoin remains firmly in the thoughts of his home community.
“We need to let him know that we’re thinking about him here and we are supportive of him.
“We also want to raise awareness around MND, raise awareness of his situation and raise money for him and his family,” explained Eoghan.
He also paid tribute to Eoin’s determination in facing MND.
“Look, I don’t mind saying this, Eoin was one of, if not the most intelligent people in our class. And the reason I say that is that Eoin had the intelligence to not let MND stop him in terms of using technology and pushing forward.
“So I’m not surprised he found a way to communicate, and I’m certainly not surprised he can help people communicate with him. He’s a remarkable guy.”
The ‘Shine a Light for Eoin’ walk takes place on Friday, July 10th, starting at the Moore United soccer grounds (N37 FK25) in Falty, Moore. The meet-up is at 9.30 p.m. with the walk commencing at 10 p.m.. Everyone is welcome to attend.
