Corin Kelly Herron surrounded by some of the Easter eggs he has collected. A 12-year-old boy from Co Tyrone has collected over 400 chocolate Easter eggs for sick children in hospital.
Corin Kelly Herron, from Strabane began collecting eggs several weeks ago, his mother Nadine Kelly said: “It started off he was happy to get 30 eggs for a children’s ward in Derry.” He has now collected over 10 times that amount.
When Corin was younger he saved his Communion money and set up a small shop at the side of his house. He sold wood and other items out of the shed. He saved the money and brought him and his mother to Medjugorje.
He brought back Rosary beads from his trip and sold them at home. He then donated the profits to his local chapel, Church of the Immaculate Conception, where there is currently a project underway to restore the church’s roof, gutters and drainage as well as to create an exhibition space above the sacristy.
Refreshing
The photo of Corin’s most recent charitable efforts – him with the Easter eggs – went viral on Facebook after a relative, Séamus Forbes, posted it in early March. “When you see the wickedness and evilness in many kids these days how refreshing and nice a thought was it that the lad came up with and him a child himself,” read the post.
Since then it has received 53,000 likes and 41,000 shares and Corin has received a huge amount of support in eggs and donations.
The eggs that were donated will now go to six different hospitals in Derry, Donegal and Belfast.
Corin has also managed to raise money to donate to the Children’s Cancer Unit in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. He says that he is “more than thankful to everyone for donating eggs” and that he now has more than enough eggs and wants to take the opportunity to donate to the unit.
Corin’s mother Nadine said he has been recognised and people have stopped him on the street looking to help out.
He was called up in front of assembly in his school, Holy Cross College Strabane, for his charitable efforts, and they helped him collect the eggs initially.
“He’s always been like that, I would hope he doesn’t lose it as he gets older,” said Nadine.