''A total warrior' Family Carer of the Year from Laois gets surprise treats on RTÉ television

Laois mother of four Sarah Dooley, Family Carers Ireland Network Carer of the Year, got a lovely surprise from RTÉ’S Today show last week.

Sarah from Mountmellick won the national award last November for her dedication to her four young sons, including son Cathail who had battled leukaemia for three years, now in the clear, and her twins who have non-verbal autism.

Read about her award win here.

James Patrice, roving reporter for RTÉ's Today Show with Maura and Daithí, landed at her door live with a television crew on Wednesday, February 5, announcing that she was to be given a treat. 

The show sent her with her mother Ann, her partner Cathail's mother Ann and best friend Liz off on a lovely spa day with afternoon tea at the nearby Heritage Hotel and Spa in Killenard.

Sarah and partner Cathail have also been treated by the luxury resort to an overnight stay with dinner and spa treatments.

“A total warrior, a total legend,” James Patrice described her.

“Its all down to the family support, and friends’ support, without them we would be lost. The network we have behind us is incredible,” Sarah said on the show.

She described the ordeal of applying to 19 schools in Laois to find ASD junior infants places for her twins, getting repeated rejections, as “horrific, soul destroying”. They are now bussed to a school on the far side of the county.  

Liz described the moment that Cathail was diagnosed with leukaemia.

“She fell apart, she cried, but she came out fighting that day, and she’s fought ever since. Cathail has got through, but no matter what’s thrown at her, she just keeps going, and when she’s not doing that she’s down at The Rock pitch, at the school, doing everything, as much as she can do for everyone,” she said, telling Sarah “you are remarkable”.

Catherine Cox, head of communications for Family Carers Ireland was at the Heritage to welcome Sarah and her ladies.

“The awards are about saying thank you to the 500,000 carers in this country, caring for children, adults and older people every single day. They are also about raising awareness particularly with our Government and policy makers, to ensure those carers are well supported, unfortunately they’re not.

She told James why Sarah’s nomination, sent by her sister stood out amongst almost 1,000 applications this year.

“Sarah is incredible, caring for her four young boys. Her partner said it so well, she just gets on with it, does it every day, doesn’t give out. She so needs to be recognised, to say thank you. She has become an ambassador for those thousands of carers out there,” she said.

James Patrice had the height of praise for Sarah, sharing the photograph on his Instagram.

“Such an honour to surprise Carer Of The Year Sarah Dooley on this afternoon’s @rtetoday She’s a total LEGEND who does so much for her sons. She was whisked away with her bestie Lizzie (and the two Anns!) for a day of pampering A lovely treat for an incredible lady!”