From 17th to 23rd May, LauraLynn marked Children's Hospice Week 2026. Under the theme 'Every Minute Matters, Every Child Counts', the week was a wonderful success, focused on raising vital awareness and funds for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
Jurassic Adventure Family Fun Day
We kicked off the week on Sunday with our Jurassic Adventure Family Fun Day. It was a massive success, welcoming over 400 guests. Even though we had a few rain showers, the energy never dropped. It was incredibly rewarding to see everyone get stuck into the dinosaur theme, playing and making memories together. As the rain arrived towards the end of the day, performer Aaron Rowe played a beautiful indoor acoustic concert, providing the perfect intimate close to the celebrations.
National Volunteers’ Week
Running alongside our campaign was National Volunteers’ Week. This gave us a great opportunity to thank our 115 amazing volunteers. We posted handwritten thank you cards to each of them and shared volunteer spotlights on campus focusing on the theme 'From Every Corner, For Every Cause'. We wrapped up their celebrations with a well-deserved pizza and cake party during our 24-Hour Challenge.
ECHPI Study
On Thursday, the ground-breaking Evidence for Children's Palliative Care in Ireland (ECHPI) study was presented at a special launch event. Led by researchers at Trinity College Dublin and funded by the Health Research Board (HRB), LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice, and the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF), the research revealed that up to one in 168 children and young people in Ireland are living with a life-limiting condition. This is nearly double previous estimates and provides a long-overdue clear picture of the scale of care required across the country.
Our 24-Hour Challenge
Thursday also saw the launch of our brand new 24-Hour Challenge. Evolving from our previous 24-Hour Treadmill Challenge, supporters walked, ran, cycled, and rowed non-stop from 10am on Thursday to 10am on Friday. The continuous motion is a powerful symbol of the round-the-clock care families provide.
We were thrilled to be joined by Virgin Media's Ireland AM, with reporter Deric Hartigan broadcasting live from LauraLynn. We also loved welcoming familiar faces who came down to lend their support, including actor Amy Huberman, Dublin footballer David Byrne, broadcaster and LauraLynn patron Miriam O'Callaghan, and former international footballer Áine O’Gorman.
The dedication we saw from participants was unbelievable. Endurance runner and mental health awareness influencer Eoin McGrath ran 180km over 45 hours fromhis home Tipperary to LauraLynn to raise funds and awareness. Sarah Gibson marked her son Martin's five-year anniversary surrounded by friends and family. Alex Hassett from Arachas completed a full marathon on all three machines.
A huge thank you to every single corporate team, individual participant, attendee, and generous donor who contributed in any way to making this incredible challenge a triumph.
Hero Day
We rounded out Friday with Hero Day. Schools across the country dressed up as their favourite heroes to raise funds and celebrate courage and kindness. Our friends at Nuacht Cúla4 covered the fun, broadcasting a wonderful piece showcasing 'Lá na Laochra ar son LauraLynn'. It is a brilliant initiative that helps children learn about the importance of inclusion and hospice care.
Spreading the Word
Children's Hospice Week 2026 was supported by a vibrant and wide-reaching advertising campaign designed to bring LauraLynn's message to audiences across the country. A standout moment of the campaign was a spectacular, larger-than-life banner displayed on Dublin's iconic Liberty Hall. Visible across the city centre throughout the week, it served as a powerful reminder of our mission, complemented by out-of-home advertising across the Luas network, billboards, and engaging digital and audio platforms. To bring our mission to life online, we also released a moving campaign video, 'LauraLynn's support to us is immense' | Cillian's story for Children's Hospice Week 2026, showcasing the profound impact of our care on his family.
The week also attracted incredible national media attention. LauraLynn CEO Kerry McLaverty joined The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk to discuss the landmark ECHPI study, and Virgin Media One's Ireland AM broadcast live from our campus throughout the morning of our 24-Hour Challenge. The story was also covered on RTÉ 2FM's mornings with Doireann Garrihy, and we secured powerful national newspaper coverage, including a moving family feature in the Irish Examiner.
Coverage extended well beyond the national stage, with regional radio stations like Clare FM, Tipp FM, and Ocean FM sharing our story, alongside local print and online outlets. This widespread media support helped ensure that the message at the heart of Children's Hospice Week — Every Minute Matters, Every Child Counts — truly reached communities in every corner of Ireland.
A Message from Our CEO
Reflecting on the campaign, LauraLynn CEO Kerry McLaverty shared:
“Children’s Hospice Week 2026 has been truly unforgettable. From seeing the joy on families' faces at our Jurassic Fun Day, to witnessing the sheer determination of our 24-Hour Challenge participants, the support has been overwhelming. The publication of the ECHPI study also marks a turning point in openly recognising the real needs of children with life-limiting conditions. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories, donated, and helped us make every minute matter.”
Thank You
A huge thank you to our hardworking staff, our wonderful volunteers, our donors, and everyone who played a part in making Children's Hospice Week 2026 such a brilliant success. Together, we are making a profound difference in the lives of the children and families who rely on LauraLynn.
