- Daniel was born with a rare condition called Sotos Syndrome, which causes severe intellectual disability, visual impairment, epilepsy, sensory processing disorder, feeding difficulties, nonverbal and challenging behaviours.
- Daniel is one of only 40 children living in Ireland this rare genetic disorder that also affects growth. By the age of 10 months he was the size of a three-year- old and it’s estimated he’ll grow to over 7ft.
- Recognising the role that sport plays in a child’s development and the mental health benefits, Daniel’s parents set out to find a way to get him involved – running.
- When he was smaller his mum ran with Daniel in a harness on her back but as he grew too big, she needed a buggy.
- She decided to run the 2017 Dublin City Marathon. Daniel weighed seven stone and was over 5ft 1ins tall. She needed a special buggy to push him.
- Lord’s Taverners Ireland supported Daniel by providing funding support for a customised running chair.
- Since the 2017 marathon, Daniel and family have taken on many more races and continue to keep up their running.
