This visual arts initiative has raised over 1 MILLION Euro which equates to a total of 55,555 hours of care – and a lot of support for the 401 Jack and Jill families who are in communities right across Ireland.
The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation
Incognito was set up by The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation in 2017.
About Jack and Jill
The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation is an Irish children’s charity set up by two pioneering parents 26 years ago in 1997 – Mary Ann O’Brien and Jonathan Irwin – based on their family’s experience, caring for their son Jack at home with the help of local nurses, until he passed away at home in Kildare at the age of 22 months on 13th December 1997. Jack’s home nursing care plan became the blueprint for over 2,900 children who’ve been supported by Jack and Jill since then, as Mary Ann and Jonathan vowed that no parents should have to walk this difficult care journey alone. They set about establishing a practical home nursing care model and raising funds to deliver it.
Today 401 children and their families are supported by our Jack and Jill Team. The support is often described as ‘a gift of time’, giving parent carers and siblings a break from their 24/7 care regime, safe in the knowledge that their Jack and Jill child is well cared for at home.
€18 funds 1 hour of in-home nursing care and respite support.
This is what Incognito means to one of our Jack and Jill Mum’s Tracy Carroll:
“I burst into tears when confirmed flashed on the screen, I had the sale set to go at 8am and checked continuously until it was 9.50am when I sat anxiously waiting the sale to go live, adrenaline racing through me as I selected our piece. I had browsed the catalogue several times, not really focusing just making notes of some I liked, at this point it was just about supporting The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, John, my husband, the quiet silent type but with an artistic eye, fell upon the piece.
“Tracy what does this make you think about”, “Willow”, the piece captures the essence of Willow, standing strong, beautiful bright in a dusky setting, her arms crossed, locked. Willow has quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy, with can lead to tightness in her limbs, Willows arms would be mostly affected, unable to use them independently. But Willow has defied the odds and is now 3, Willow is a child under the wing of The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation.
When you have a child with complex medical needs your world is chaotic, your life, your families live in turmoil. When you find yourself part of this very strange new world you are lost, blinded in a fog. When you are trying to scramble your way through and you are part of the amazing Jack and Jill Family you have guides to walk, drag and some days carry you.
The joy of being lucky to buy our piece, means more than a beautiful piece of art, it’s part of our story, it’s part of the Jack and Jill legacy, it’s a symbol of the beautiful life we now share, helped by the love of the amazing nurses and staff and other families in this atypical family.
Once we received our piece, I was able to make contact with the artist, again another emotional moment, her art fitting right in with our world of Fairies and Elves on the path of Willow’s Way.
For those who decide to support and purchase a piece in the second upcoming sale, we thank you and know that you will forever be part of a bigger story, a story of love, strength, of amazing people and a beautiful family.”
#Incognito2023 In The Media
Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation
The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation is an Irish children’s charity that funds and provides up to 100 hours per month of in-home nursing care, respite support and end-of-life care to families caring for children, up to the age of six, with severe learning disability often associated with complex medical needs. Its mission is to empower parents to care for their child at home, by funding and delivering nursing, respite and advocacy. The service operates 7 days a week, with no means test, no red tape and no waiting list.
In 2023, Jack and Jill supported 534 families in communities across Ireland.
