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An eleven-year-old boy with complex needs who spent the first six months of his life in hospital has been shortlisted for a national charity’s ‘Young Person of the Year’ Award in recognition of the incredible progress he’s made in recent years, including with his vocalising and movement. Eoin O’Neill, from Lisburn, has a tracheostomy (an artificial airway) and is non-verbal. Mum Ann-Marie O’Neill, 46, explains that Eoin recently started using a speech valve, to help him vocalise and to strengthen his vocal chords. While Eoin cannot communicate through speech, he enjoys making noises and this summer was delighted to play the part of a young PT Barnum in his school production of The Greatest Showman, where he performed the tear-jerking song ‘A Million Dreams’ to a room of captivated parents and children. Ann-Marie reflects: “It was incredibly emotional. Eoin can’t sing words, but he loves making noises and has really built up strength in his vocal chords. At the beginning of the performance, the audience was told ‘Eoin has found his voice this year’. And he really has.” Eoin’s parents Ann-Marie and John, who both work in IT, were initially told by doctors that Eoin would likely never leave hospital after his birth. He has a rare life-limiting genetic condition called cri-du-chat syndrome, and has significant sight and hearing impairments. Eoin has faced many challenges as the syndrome impacts every aspect of his life, but Ann-Marie and John have noticed “a real leap” in his movement and his understanding of the world around him. Ann-Marie explains: “Eoin's journey over the last few years has been incredible. We use a wheelchair and a specialist walker as he is unable to walk unaided, but you wouldn't believe how much his movement has improved in the past year! His crawling and walking is way stronger and more purposeful now – he really knows where he wants to go. And he's also much more aware of his surroundings and all the familiar people in his life, especially his brother and sister.” Eoin’s siblings – older brother Jay, 14, and younger sister Aine, 10 – are described by their mum as “two absolute stars”. She said: “There are times that I worry about whether John and I have enough energy left for our other two. We really try to make sure Jay and Aine don't feel like they're missing out, and honestly, they make it easy. I can say with total confidence that they adore Eoin. They're such wonderfully empathetic kids. Aine, for example, is brilliant – she'll set up sensory discos or tell him stories, because she's so clued into what he enjoys. And Jay is quietly supportive, always looking out for him. They both show such incredible patience and love, it really melts your heart.” The O’Neill’s have been supported by Sense throughout Eoin’s life, with the family first meeting with the charity when he was six months old. Ann-Marie says that “at this point I’d given up on ever being able to go back to work. Meeting with two ladies from Sense was the first time I felt I might return to some semblance of normality. They changed my life and my way of thinking at the time.” Eoin being shortlisted for the ‘Young Person of the Year’ Award comes as the charity expands its services in Northern Ireland with the launch of Sense Hub Belfast, which officially opened in September. Eoin’s family have visited the hub and hope to make use of the facilities as he gets older. For the family, being shortlisted for this Award is the latest incredible achievement for Eoin. Ann-Marie says: “This superhero boy of ours does something every single day that just fills us with pride. When we were told we might not ever get to bring him home from hospital, it felt like the world stopped. So now, every new little thing he achieves – whether it's shaking his head, clapping his hands, sharing his voice in the school show – it's just huge for us. We were surprised when we found out that Eoin had been nominated for this wonderful national award, but Eoin is always surprising us. We are so proud of him.” Martin Walls, Head of Operations Northern Ireland at Sense, said: “We’re delighted that our very own Eoin has been shortlisted for this Award. Eoin has hit so many important milestones and is continuing to flourish, proving that with the right care and support disabled children with complex needs can and do achieve amazing things – and we can’t wait to see what amazing things he achieves next!” Sense received more than 100 nominations for its awards this year. It was down to a team of disabled judges to review the nominations and decide a shortlist for each category. These judges are: Strictly Come Dancing finalist Tasha Ghouri; one of the BBC’s 100 Women of 2024 Roxy Murray; award-winning scientist Max Fisher; disability advocate Pravjoth Gill; and medal-winning ballroom and Latin American dancer Shaun Hayward. More information about the judges can be found here: www.sense.org.uk/sense-awards/2025-sense-awards-judges/ Sense will be revealing this year’s winners on its social media channels in November. You can find out more about the Sense Awards on the charity’s website: www.sense.org.uk/sense-awards
