Strangers fund surgery so Cork man, 72, can see his daughter’s wedding

A Cork pensioner will be able to see his daughter walk down the aisle next week thanks to the kindness of two strangers.

72-year-old Michael Horgan suffers with cataract in one eye and is losing sight in the other.

"When you’re going out on a walk, it’s just walking in a fog," the Cork man told the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork's Red FM this week. "I can see the television with my good eye like, but it’s gradually going as well."

Michael had wanted to have surgery to correct the problem before his daughter gets married next Friday but had been refused a loan and could not afford it. He hoped that other listeners would be able to give him advice but was shocked when a woman he had never met phoned the show with an incredible offer. The caller, Anna, said that she and her daughter would give him €3,000 towards the procedure. [caption id="attachment_485711" align="alignnone" width="620"] The Neil Prendeville Show[/caption]

"I just listened to your story briefly and myself and my daughter said we will pay €3,000 towards the one eye, if the HSE could cover the cost of the other eye. "At the end of the day, if my dad was alive I’d have loved if someone did something for him, if his eye sight had went, at this hour of his life he should be enjoying it."

The show then got in touch with West Cork TD Michael Collins, who helps Cork people travel to the north for cataract surgery. The independent TD arranged to get Michael a procedure this weekend so he would be home and recovered in time for the wedding next week. The pensioner was overjoyed at the kindness he'd been shown.

"My God, I can’t believe it, it's unbelievable, I'm flabbergasted," he said. "I have to say thank you so much to everyone and hopefully I’ll be a new man."