Family of terminally ill child 'overwhelmed' with support to give him one last Christmas

Little Sebastian McLoughlin, from Tipperary, was diagnosed with cancer in January after he began suffering from uncontrollable vomiting and persistent headaches.

Doctors discovered a “golf ball sized tumour” in Sebastian’s brain and put the child forward for surgery to have the tumour removed.

After an operation that lasted more than seven hours, doctors removed the majority of the tumour but said secondary tumours could develop.

Sebastian went through intensive chemotherapy, which ended around four weeks ago.

He was just getting back to normal when his earlier symptoms returned. Subsequent test revealed Sebastian’s cancer had returned. Doctors now say he has only weeks to live.

Parents Conor and Ann McLoughlin wanted to do something memorable for their son to make the rest of his time here as special as possible.

Since Christmas is Sebastian’s favourite time of year, his family want to bring it forward a few months - they plan to hold the holiday this Saturday.

Conor made an emotional appeal on The Ray D’Arcy Show on Tuesday, looking for the public’s help in sourcing Santa’s sleigh, some reindeer and an inflatable Santa’s grotto.

The family has since been inundated with support and offers of help and a crowdfunding page (now closed) has raised more than €15,000

“The humanity of our listeners over the last 24 hours has been amazing. I was taken aback,” said presenter Ray D’Arcy.

“We received thousands of emails. The phone in the office has been going all morning.”