An eight-year-old boy has tragically died after breaking his arm at school, prompting an outpouring of grief and a fundraising campaign to support his family. Matthew Breen, from Rathnew, County Wicklow, Republic of Ireland, passed away at Crumlin Children's Hospital in Dublin on Monday, November 17, surrounded by his loved ones.
Matthew broke his arm in two places while at school on Thursday, November 6, and was taken by ambulance to hospital. His family said he was 'completely fine that day' and was discharged shortly afterwards. His mother, Ciara, arranged for him to undergo surgery at Crumlin Hospital, but following admission, Matthew became unwell and was prescribed tablets and steroids. He began vomiting and experienced breathing difficulties after a second dose of steroids.
Hospital staff instructed Ciara to walk Matthew around and give him water, and he was later sent home. By Monday, November 10, his condition had rapidly declined, and he struggled to breathe. Emergency services rushed to the family home, but Matthew stopped breathing and was taken to Crumlin Hospital, where he was placed in an induced coma on life support. He died a week later.
A GoFundMe campaign launched by Ciara's sister-in-law, Lauren Frampton, has raised over €14,300 (£12,500) from more than 500 donors to help the family with financial stress. Lauren described Matthew as 'the most loving little boy' who is 'missed and loved by so many people'. Matthew leaves behind two brothers and two sisters.
Tributes have flooded in from his schools, St Joseph's National School in Arklow and St Patrick's National School. One teacher recalled his 'cheeky little smile', while another said he brought 'so much happiness' to the school. His funeral took place on Friday at St Joseph's Church in Templerainey, Arklow, with classmates wearing t-shirts reading 'Matthew our Hero'. He was laid to rest beside his grandad Billy in St Gabriel's Cemetery, Arklow.
