It was a trip of a lifetime for Meath's Cillian O'Sullivan and his new wife Caoimhe as they jetted off for their honeymoon but little did they know they'd soon get news that'd leave them in tears.
The Moynalvey clubman has been part of the Meath team for over ten years and captained the team in 2022.
Since then, Cillian has candidly spoken out about his MS (Multiple Sclerosis) diagnosis and the signs in the months leading up to his honeymoon he ignored.
Cillian and Caoimhe met in college but Cillian says he didn't dare to ask her out until the final year. Celebrating their first wedding anniversary in May, Caoimhe has been right by his side throughout the diagnosis.
Chatting to the GAA podcast, the Players Voice Cillian recalled the weeks leading up to his diagnosis and how he and his wife dealt with the news.
'We had gone on the Meath holiday to Gran Canaria and had a great time there. [We] then flew to South America - Lima, Peru, Machu Picchu, Chile, Argentina, Mendoza tasting steak and drinking wine which was great but all along I had pins and needles in my left hand,' he said.
Cillian admitted: 'It had started before I left but I ignored it and then as I continued travelling the pins and needles slowly travelled up my arm into my left side of my body, [I was] totally numb from the chest down to my waist and my left arm was very numb.'
Basic tasks such as turning on a light switch or using a knife and fork became too difficult for the player and he would often have to ask his wife to cut his food.
While in Argentina, Cillian went for scans and they were sent home to be examined. A doctor then rang Cillian requesting he come home as the tests indicated that there were 'white legions' on his spine.
Cillian flew home on a Tuesday and headed straight into the hospital. By that Thursday doctors broke the news to him and his wife. Recalling finding out the news, Cillian said: 'There were a lot of tears, sitting on that bed crying was one of the toughest moments I have ever had.'
He added that 'having Caoimhe there was so important.' Helping him through, Cillian spoke of how Caoimhe helped keep him calm.
'My wife is a researcher so she was very helpful, she is a filter for me so she worms out the bad stuff,' he said. 'Rather than reading the worst-case scenarios she was able to present evidence-based information around the condition.'
While Cillian's circumstances may have changed, he's still determined to play football and knows that whatever happens, he has full support from his wife and his teammates.
