Fundraising appeal to help family of Laois native who died in New York

An appeal is underway to help the family of a Laois native who died suddenly in America last year.

Johnny Whelan, son of the late Joe and Margaret Whelan, passed away last August at home in Woodlawn, New York. The husband of Kathleen's husband and dad of Seán Patrick, 31, and Mary Bridget, 21, was aged 67 when he became unwell on the train to work as a carpenter.

His wife collected from a nearby station and brought home, where he went to bed to rest. However, not long afterwards, Kathleen discovered her husband had died from what later emerged to have been a massive heart attack.  

The Whelan family was well known locally in Laois because Johnny's parents ran the Portlaoise Arms pub on Market Square during the 1970s. The pub, which has since been replaced by Domino's Pizza, was a popular hostelery among the GAA community and was very busy on match days.

Johnny was just 13 when he moved to Ballinasloe in Co Galway with his parents, his brother Bart, sisters Margaret, Siobhan, Helen and Pauline.  During their time in Galway, Joe ran a busy and popular shop located opposite Portiuncula Hospital. Just as in Portlaoise, Joe became known far and wide as the main store for hospital visitors, staff and patients.

He was also immersed in the GAA scene in Ballinasloe and was a selector on the local Gaelic football team that won two Galway county football titles in the early 1980s and contested an All-Ireland club final in 1980 versus St Finbarr's. The victorious Cork team featured no less than Jimmy Barry Murphy. Johnny was in the squad that played that day.

He was also a classy soccer player with Ballinasloe Town AFC and later with Athlone Town in the League of Ireland.

After the family was raised, Joe and Margaret returned to Laois in the 1990s, where they ran a B&B and taxi service. While Johnny's sisters have all returned home to Laois. Bart moved to Cork, but Johnny left for a summer to work and play football in the late 1980s where he fell in love with Kathleen, whom he met her on a night out in the Bronx. Johnny would go on to marry, raise a family and build a career as a master carpenter in the Big Apple.

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While Johnny's death meant the family had lost income, Kathleen felt the life assurance policy the couple had been paying into for decades would mean there would be no financial burden for the future. However, her world was turned upside down before Christmas last year when a problem with the life assurance policy emerged, meaning there would be no payout to pay off the mortgage and fund other expenses.

This led Johnny's sister-in-law Breda, to start a GoFundMe fundraiser to help Kathleen and her family. Kathleen's son has non-verbal Autism, while her daughter is in university in Brooklyn. 

"Kathleen and her children are facing an incredibly difficult time after the sudden and unexpected loss of her husband. In the midst of their grief, they are also navigating the challenges of caring for their autistic son and supporting their daughter, who recently started college. To make matters even more complicated, their home was undergoing construction when this tragedy struck, leaving them with unfinished repairs and added financial stress. SEE MORE BELOW PHOTO

"The loss of her husband has left Kathleen as the sole provider for her family. She is now responsible for managing daily expenses, ensuring her son receives the specialised care he needs, and helping her daughter continue her education. The unfinished construction on their home has created additional hurdles, making it even harder for them to find stability and comfort during this time.

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"By coming together to support Kathleen and her children, you can help them cover essential living costs, complete the necessary work on their home, and provide the care and educational opportunities her children deserve. Thank you in advance for your kindness and support during this difficult time. Your generosity means so much to their family, and every contribution will help them move forward with hope and strength," said the GoFundMe appeal.

This has led to support from Ireland and the United States, with thousands of eurosledged to help Kathleen and her family.

Speaking from her home in New York, Kathleen said she is extremely thankful for all the support she has had from Ireland and the US. She has had to apply for financial help to put her daughter through art college at Pratt's Institute. Her son has additional needs, which means the family are entitled to financial support, but it has been a struggle navigating the process of getting supports.

To support the Whelan family go to Support for Family After Sudden Loss on GoFundMe HERE.