Fran’s Cycle
On Saturday, August 22, 2026, local father Paul and a group of approximately 12 other cyclists will set off on “Fran’s Cycle”, a meaningful endurance ride designed to raise funds for the Paul Ward and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
The route symbolically retraces every step of the medical crisis Paul’s family experienced earlier this year when his two-year-old daughter, Francesca, was diagnosed with a 9cm brain tumour which is believed to been growing since birth.
The ride begins at 5:30 AM in Killinchy, picking up fellow cyclists in Lisbane, Comber, and Belfast to catch the 7:10 AM train from Belfast Grand Central Station to Portrush. From Portrush, the team will ride through key stops including Randalstown, Lagan Valley and Killinchy, before completing a final loop past the hospitals pivotal to Fran’s emergency treatment: Ulster Hospital, the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, and finally home.
The route directly mirrors the family’s journey: Home → Portrush → Lagan Valley → Home → Ulster Hospital → Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children → Home.
In April 2026, just as Paul was preparing to start a new job working on the construction of the New Children’s Hospital, Francesca developed severe symptoms following an Easter trip to Portrush. Consultations at Lagan Valley and Ulster Hospital led to an emergency blue-light transfer to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children for life-saving surgery. Today, Francesca, the family’s “little superhero”, is recovering well alongside her parents, sister Harriet, and dogs Wolfgang and the new addition Hans.
“Waking up in the Children’s Hospital as a family is something that will never leave us, somehow it being the worst feeling in the world to somewhat the best and only place you wanted to be with your sick daughter,” said Paul. “Nothing in life will ever prepare you for the uncertainty of MRI scans nor putting your two-year-old baby to sleep for a day’s brain operation… The treatment that Fran received and the care taken for us as a family, we will forever be in debt. The least we can do is raise funds for those kids and families that need it the most.“
How to Support:
To support Paul and the cyclists, view the route on Strava, or make a donation, please visit the family’s JustGiving page HERE
