Message to supporters and media from Eileen Richey

Eileen would really and truly appreciate it if the media and people respected her privacy over these next few days especially. She understands the role they have played in this fight and is not trying to dismiss this in anyway. This is a time for her to gather her thoughts and do practical things that need to be done without disruption.

I am sure most people will respect this.

While this is a very public thing that is happening. Eileen herself is a very private and shy person and this media attention for her is pretty scary at times.

This has been a whirlwind of emotions for her and she is totally overwhelmed.

She understands the media interest in Kenny's case and in how she feels about him coming home. She asks now that please media will understand her position right now. She understands about deadlines etc but this is her life.

Here we have a mother who has been through the emotional ringer for 21 years, and now the end is in sight. She can hardly believe it is happening at long last. She has been let down so many times in the past with false hopes and she has dared to hope and believe that now Kenny is really coming home.. She won't quite believe it until he walks towards her at the airport. The last time she thought he was coming home he ended up with chest pains and sent to hospital and this of course worries Eileen.
As a mother, she wants him to be well and home safely.

Please remember that Kenny has just recently been released from the hospital and is in delicate/compromised health and Kenny is going to need some rest upon his return home.

She is very excited to be able to hold her son in her arms for the first time since 1984. She is looking forward to being able to sit and talk with him face to face and spend time with him. I hope that they get this special time together so both of them can adjust to freedom and him being home after all these years.

She feels that the best time for her to talk to media is when she and Kenny have met up at long last.

Eileen understands people want to see and meet Kenny but first and foremost he is her son, a son she has not seen properly in many years.

Please give her this chance as it can only happen once. There will be plenty of time for everything else at a later date.

She does understand media will be there when he comes home but she is fine with this.

She has prepared Kenny's bedroom for him and is making final arrangements for his homecoming.

Let her have this time please. It is all she asks.

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