Show For Sergio at Vicar Street

A fundraising concert for Sergio O'Connor

Featuring:

John Sheehan, Barney McKenna and members of the Dubliners,Frances Black, Finbarr Furey, Na Casaidigh, Lad Lane, Aoife Scott, The Bonnymen, Alainn,Peter Browne, Michelle O Brien and friends, Eamonn Galldubh, plus special guests.

Dublin born Sergio O'Connor is a 9 month old twin boy who was born with an incomplete oesophagus. Donal O’Connor, Sergio’s father comes from a well-known Dublin family of traditional musicians and many of their friends and stars of Irish music have offered to perform at Show For Sergio. Show for Sergio to help him and his family when they go to Boston where surgeons can perform a life changing operation.

Baby Sergio O’Connor, a twin was born 5 March 2011 with a number of complications and among the severest is a rare condition which prevents him from eating, drinking or swallowing. The congenital defects were diagnosed during pregnancy. Sergio was separated from his twin brother at birth and moved to the Intensive Care Unit. The other twin, Tadhg was born in good health.

Sergio has a gap between his oesophagus and his stomach. His parents, friends and medical team are hoping that a ground breaking procedure abroad at the Oesophageal Advanced Centre in Boston which uses the Foker technique will allow Sergio’s oesophagus to be repaired rather than replaced. This will give him a better quality of life.

Little Sergio has spent everyday since his birth in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, the greater part in the Intensive Care Unit and is constantly wired up to tubes and life saving apparatus. Doctors initially hoped that the gap between the two ends of his oesophagus would get smaller but unfortunately, this did not happen. Sergio has proved to be a brave little fighter.


The only treatment available in Ireland would condemn Sergio to a lifetime of medication and 24 hour care. The complex series of operations needed to help Sergio are not available in Ireland and Sergio is currently waiting for clearance from the HSE to sanction his operation abroad. This operation involves inducing Sergio into a coma for three to six weeks, while doctors use a procedure to stimulate the growth of his oesophagus.

The whole procedure and aftercare could take up to six months.He has a tube in his throat to stop his trachea from collapsing and is fed through a peg in his stomach. In addition, Sergio has a continuous suction tube through his nose and requires regular ventilation treatment to prevent him from choking on his saliva.Despite all of Sergio’s medical conditions Sergio continues to win people over with his charm and charisma. He touches all who visit him with his award winning smile and loves a good cuddle.

Sergio’s family are fundraising with a range of events including concerts in order to cover basic living expenses for the duration of his surgery and aftercare and hopefully will be able to bring their smiley baby home to live a normal life with his twin brother Tadhg.

For more information please visit www.helpsergio.com