An online funding page has been set up to support the recovery of 18-year-old Kym Owens who was violently assaulted as she walked to her accommodation in Maynooth last week.
The Kym Owens Recovery Fund, which was established by a local committee from Ms Owens’ hometown of Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, was set up on Friday and is calling on support to raise funds to support the young student’s road to recovery.
A message on the gofundme page said Ms Owens was in a “serious but stable condition in hospital” following the attack. Ms Owens was attacked moments after disembarking an evening bus from her home to Maynooth last Sunday ahead of the new week in college. She was set upon in a housing estate on the outskirts of the town and was left with life-threatening head injuries.
Ms Owens suffered fractures to her head and face, including her eye sockets, nose and jaw and lost a number of teeth in the attack. She remains unconscious in hospital just over a week later and gardaí are still seeking a breakthrough in the case.
Gardaí are hopeful she will recover and may be able to aid the investigation of the crime, which has resulted in considerable fear in the Co Kildare town, especially among female students at NUI Maynooth.
Elizabeth Mulholland, a member of the committee who set up the recovery fund, said a “severe shock” had descended on the town of Castleblayney since the attack on Ms Owens.
She told The Irish Times how the self-appointed, local committee had gathered together in solidarity with the Owens family and to alleviate some of the financial burden of Ms Owens' medical care.
“A fundraising scheme and events have been set up so that everyone can contribute what they can to help and get Kym back and make a full recovery to complete her studies,” said Ms Mulholland.
She described Ms Owens’ family “as one of the most respected families” in the town and said all efforts would be made to “further the well-being of their beautiful daughter Kym”.
The gofundme page says the committee is keeping close contact with the Owens family and are “reaching out to the entire nation in our appeal as we know this has touched the hearts of every being”.
The committee has organised street collections in Castleblayney to raise money for Ms Owens on Friday, Dec 2nd and Saturday, Dec 3rd and will hold a concert on Tuesday, January 10th in the Glencarn Hotel in Castleblayney. The gofundme page has raised more than €1,300 so far.
Another gofundme page, which was set up last week by Dubliner Ian Marten to help fund Ms Owen’s recovery, has already far exceeded its goal of €1,000 with €5,590 raised so far.
For more information, www.gofundme.com/xk-kym-owens-recovery-fund
