On Wednesday morning, a little boy from Kildorrery whose energy masks the severity of the disease that will one day claim his young life, waited patiently for the postman to arrive but with the help of the emergency services in Cork the young superhero was given a birthday to remember.

It has just been a little over a week since Fionn Doyle’s mam Eimear issued an internet plea for the public to send birthday cards to her terminally ill seven year-old son.

Fionn has battled leukaemia for over five years but on May 16 his parents received the devastating news that Fionn’s illness is terminal.

Like all young children Fionn loves to celebrate his birthday and gets a huge kick out of receiving letters in the post, but for someone as special as Fionn the postman alone couldn’t deliver the thousands of letters sent by friends and well wishers the length and breadth of the countermand beyond.

Coverage in this week’s Print & Digital Edition