Member's statement: Noah's Story
Member's statement by Mr Philip McGuigan on .
- MLA
- Mr Philip McGuigan
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 9 March 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Noah's Story
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5452808
Read the official Assembly record
Text
On Saturday, I had the privilege of attending a hugely successful fundraiser in Dunloy in support of Noah's Story, a charity founded in memory of two-year-old Noah McAleese. Noah was a beautiful little boy whose life was tragically cut short in November 2022. Since then, Noah's family have shown extraordinary courage in transforming their grief into a mission that now supports other families across the North facing similar circumstances and heartbreak. Leaning on their own experience, Noah's parents, Corrina and Johnny, made a commitment that no family should face the worst moments of their lives without dignity, privacy and compassionate care and support. Out of that commitment came Noah's Story, a charity dedicated to improving how our health system here cares for families who experience sudden bereavement by creating and maintaining dedicated bereavement spaces in hospitals across the North. Those "Infinity Rooms" are named as such because of Noah's love of the 'Toy Story' movie. The first Infinity Room was opened just a few months ago in November 2025 in the Causeway Hospital. Speaking back in November, Noah's mother Corrina said:
"We appreciate when someone loses a loved one, there is very little that can truly ease that pain. But what we can do is create spaces that provide a softer landing in those immediate, devastating moments. And that is how the Infinity Room was created."
When you see first-hand the thought, compassion and determination of Corrina and Johnny, their wider family and the local community that has gone into Noah's Story, you understand that it is more than just a charity. It is a legacy of love and of the determination that, despite their own tragic loss, something deeply meaningful can be built for others. Saturday's fundraiser at Dunloy GAA grounds, which I attended, was a testament to how the local and wider North Antrim community has been touched by Noah's Story and the work of Johnny and Corrina.
I conclude my remarks by paying tribute here in Stormont to Corrina and Johnny, to their wider family, to everyone who continues to support that remarkable charity and to their resilience and determination in ensuring that Noah's memory lives on in a way that helps countless others.
367 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.09 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.69 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.12 |
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.08 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.05 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.02 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:03 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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