Ryan Tubridy has paid tribute to a young boy who once visited the Late Late Toy Show set, after he sadly died.
Martin Gibson O’Gara, who had cerebral palsy, scoliosis and a chronic lung disease, recently passed away at the age of 10.
Speaking on his RTÉ Radio 1 show, Ryan explained: “Before the [Toy] show we bring in kids who have maybe a short time on the earth to live, or maybe battles to fight all the time.”
“It’s the tots’ moment and we bring them in and we play with them, we show them toys. We just have an hour or so to hangout and give them a go and a chance with the Toy Show experience that they otherwise might not have had.”
“I meet these children year in, year out and I meet their parents that seem so stoical and happy. Let’s not forget that either.”
Ryan continued: “Martin Gibson O’Gara is a little boy who I would have met at some point, some years ago when he came in to do that visit to the Toy Show set.”
“I met him and he was in a wheelchair and he had tubes and he had love and that’s the truth of the matter.”
“He has passed away after ten years and ten months of struggling as his family have said. I would have met him and his dad Marty and his mum Sarah on that occasion.”
“I just wanted to let them know, and he would have spent time at Laura Lynn Hospice this past number of weeks, and I wanted to send my love to the family because the Toy Show brings joy and at moments like this it brings untold sadness.”
“So I hope that you have that lovely memory and I’ve seen photographs today that were taken and it reminded me of what a lovely time that was.”
