Stephen Butler

For the last 13 years Stephen has been in and out of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital and has become intimately familiar with Crumlin and its staff. “I have been to almost every ward here in the hospital” says Stephen “but Our Lady’s ward is my favourite. The staff here have become my friends.”
And Stephen is not someone who forgets his friends. Over the last 3 years Stephen has given what he can to ensure that his friends on the ward have what they need. Ever since his beloved Dad passed away in St Vincent’s Hospital, Stephen has been inspired to raise funds for those who are sick and vulnerable.  With the love and support of his family, brothers Ciaran, Sean and his wife Emer and baby Tess and his Mother Valerie, Stephen has managed to come up with generous and imaginative ways to raise funds for the ward.

He has organised sponsored cycles in his community, convinced his school to host a Non Uniform Day, inspired the Parent’s Association to utilise their baking talents for a Pancake Day and even raffled his own bike challenging his friends to give generously. Everyone who knows Stephen were immediately enthusiastic about his ideas, and his friends rallied to the call many of them having had siblings, relatives or friends who had been cared for at the hospital. They realised that being in the hospital can be difficult when you’re a kid, and they wanted to show solidarity with their friend Stephen and spread a little happiness by giving as much as they could.

As a result of all his great initiatives and their generosity he was able to buy universal remote controls for all the TVs on the ward to save kids getting out of their hospital beds to change the channel and a digital camera to take better pictures of wounds for the doctors and nurses.

But Stephen hasn’t stopped there. He has channelled some of his experiences as a patient by counselling other patients who might be fearful of an important operation. “It’s very important to talk to others who are going through some of the same issues I did,” he says. “To let them know that they can get through it, they are not alone, and put them at ease by sharing some of my own experiences.”

Today, Stephen Butler, aged 13, is a modern day hero and is an inspiration to us here at Crumlin.  Although he requires treatment several times a year, his positive outlook is a source of great pride to his loving and very proud mother Valerie, the staff in Crumlin who look forward to his visits and all his school friends, teachers and head master. Thanks to the efforts of one boy, patients’ lives have been transformed for the better and the work practices of staff have been improved. The inspiration continues. Thanks Stephen.