“Walk on, walk on / With hope in your heart / And you'll never walk alone.”
These are the lyrics Sarah and Megan heard at their dad’s funeral. And these are the lyrics they sang to themselves as they completed the Irish Life Dublin Marathon this October. Sarah, Megan and their Mam, Catherine share why the marathon now holds special meaning for their family.
Sarah began, “Last December, I got a call that my dad was being transferred to the cardiothoracic unit in the Mater Hospital for an operation. Right away, my husband and I were out the door and on our way to Dublin on a flight from the UK.”
Catherine followed, “My husband had only been diagnosed with lung cancer in late November after doctors thought he had pneumonia. It was an extremely rapid situation for us to come to terms with as a family. He developed malignant pleural effusion, which is a build up of fluid in the lungs from the cancer.”
“After the surgery, the consultant explained things could go one way or the other. Less than four weeks after his initial diagnosis, my dad very sadly passed away at 5 o’clock on Christmas Eve 2024,” continued Sarah.
Megan added, “In the days leading up to Christmas Eve, it was very tough. We hardly noticed the time of year, with something so devastating unfolding, being together was all that mattered.
“Having access to the family room at the Mater meant so much. My mam, sister, and I were able to sleep there, which allowed us to stay as close as possible to my dad and that meant everything to us.”
Sarah said, “The care at every level was incredible, whether it was nurses looking after our emotional wellbeing or the lovely staff making sure we had meals. I remember one nurse asking, ‘Is Mammy okay? Is she eating?’ about my mother. My mam was there all day, every day. Those nurses became so important, not only for my dad’s care but for us as a family. That level of human connection in a moment of need is truly moving, and you never forget it.
“Having access to the family room was what inspired my sister and I to run in the Dublin Marathon for the Mater Hospital Foundation. At that time, we’d never ran a marathon. We both knew 42.2 kilometres would be a huge challenge, but it would be our way of doing something very meaningful in our dad’s name.
“We started fundraising. Between us we raised more than €5,700! It was such a privilege to raise funds in our dad’s name. Every time we saw a donation pop up, no matter how big or small, we thought, ‘That’s going to help other families.’
“During the marathon, we found ourselves lost in memories. This city is our home, and so many of the places along the route hold meaning for our family. Passing through Phoenix Park for example, this was where our mam and dad first met in a nightclub all those years ago.
“When we reached the finish line, we felt completely overwhelmed with emotion. For 10 months we had thought about this moment; this was it. As we each put the medal on, we felt so proud we got to do this together and for our dad.
“Dealing with grief is very difficult. The marathon can’t take away the pain of losing someone so dear to us all, but the connections our family made along the way provided great levels of comfort, hope and helped us get through this year.
“Being part of the Marathon means joining a huge community all training toward something extraordinary. On race day, people who are complete strangers come together for their own personal reasons, everyone is running for something or someone. It’s said that the Dublin Marathon is the friendliest in the world, and after experiencing it, we couldn’t agree more. The buzz and support you feel are truly special and unique to the people of Ireland.
“The Dublin Marathon was only three days before our dad’s 69th birthday. This meant we were all together on his birthday, and we accomplished something truly incredible in his memory, to honour him and the people that took care of him in his final moments. That felt very special.
“His absence is still so fresh. It’s hard to believe that somebody is really gone. But our dad was surrounded by love until the very end. The three of us, my mam, sister and I were there in his final moment. We walked that road with him. He never walked alone.”
The Family of John Fitzgerald
Honouring someone you love can bring comfort, hope, and healing. Creating an In Memory fundraising page this Remember in November is a meaningful way to honour your loved one’s life while helping patients and families at the Mater receive the care and compassion they deserve. Visit https://fundraise.materfoundation.ie/ to create your In Memory page today.