HEARTBREAK FOR ALANNAH

Dromara girl Alannah Donnelly, who has been battling leukaemia since September, was distraught when she saw Lucy, her Jack Russell, lying dead in her laneway on Easter Sunday after someone had apparently hit the dog and driven away.

Alannah's mother Julie-Anne said her daughter was inconsolable as the family went out for a meal on Sunday evening only to drive past Lucy who lay lifeless in the laneway.

Alannah, who is allowed only limited contact with animals and other children due to the high risk of infection as she fights cancer, loved to play with Lucy and take her for walks during breaks from intensive and exhausting courses of treatment.

The brave young Dromara girl has been unable to attend school since her diagnosis almost eight months ago as she makes trips back and forth to hospital in Belfast.

lifelong

Julie-Anne, who had to tell her brave young daughter that Lucy had gone to live in heaven, explained that the lifelong pet had been a real comfort at this difficult time as Alannah prepares for her second course of treatment in May.

"Alannah was only allowed to be around Lucy because she has had her all her life," Julie-Anne told the Leader.

"Her and Lucy were inseparable. Lucy would be across the fields and we would all call her but the only one she'd come back to would be Alannah.

company

"She was great company for Alannah especially because she hasn't really been able to play with other children lately."

The family's distress was made worse by the fact that the driver who hit Lucy did not alert her owners to what had happened.

"It seems that whoever hit her just drove away and left her lying there," said Julie-Anne.

"Maybe if we had been told what happened we could have done something before it was too late.

"I hope their conscience is good to them, that's all I can say."