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Family raises £3,750 in memory of beloved Jim Joe
2023-01-13
A Barnmeen family recently held a fundraising event at Johnny Arthurs Bar to raise money for Diabetes UK Northern Ireland, in memory of Mayobridge native, Jim Joe McAlinden.
Annie McAlinden, Jim Joe’s daughter, said:
"Dad lost his vision as a result of diabetes and that’s the one thing that made life very difficult for him.
We cannot thank everyone enough for all their support and for helping us raise £3,750 for a charity that we know will continue to help other families managing diabetes.
We have decided to donate this money to a local research project at Queen's University Belfast which will be researching diabetic retinopathy."
Diabetes UK Northern Ireland fundraising manager, Naomi Breen, commented:
"I would like to thank Annie and the McAlinden family circle and their friends and neighbours who supported their fundraising efforts to help more people living with diabetes.
It was an incredible amount of money raised and has helped raise awareness about this relentless condition.
Research continues to be so important in understanding more about diabetes as we all work towards a world where diabetes can do no harm."
Preventing damage to the retina in diabetes
Having diabetes can lead to damaged blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye, caused by high blood sugar levels (diabetic retinopathy). This can lead to vision problems and sight loss. Dr Judith Lechner of Queen's University Belfast wants to find out if a protective protein can be used to repair and reduce this damage, and potentially be used as a new treatment option in the future.
