Charity night for brave Laura

TICKETS have gone on sale for a special charity ball being held in memory of a fantastic young Northside woman who died from a rare form of cancer.

Laura O’Neill lost a nine-month battle with synovial sarcoma last September aged just 22.

She had been diagnosed nine months earlier, just after Christmas 2016, when she sought treatment for a swollen stomach.

Doctors first thought she may be pregnant or constipated but when the real reason was discovered Laura was immediately put on chemotherapy.

Friends and family helped her raise €29,000 through a GoFundMe page so she could receive treatment in the UK but despite initial hope Laura’s tumours returned very aggressively.

Described by pals as bubbly, hilarious and courageous, Laura, who attended secondary school at Dominican College in Glasnevin, bravely wrote about her cancer and increased awareness of synovial sarcoma.

Always keen to be a source of positivity even in the face of such adversity, Laura became an advocate for candid and often humorous dialogue during her treatment through her personal blog, cocktailsnchemo.blogspot.ie.

Her inspiring story was featured in a number of media outlets including Huffington Post, The Irish Sun and Evoke.ie all raising much needed awareness around the rare condition and what it was truly like to live with cancer at such a young age.

Laura knew the struggle of having to travel overseas to access treatment for her rare condition so the Laura O’Neill Remembrance Ball will raise funds for the Gavin Glynn Foundation.

Set up in memory of Gavin, who was also diagnosed with synovial sarcoma at just 18 months old, he had no choice but to travel from Amsterdam to Texas to receive treatment until he passed away in 2014 at the age of four.

The Foundation was set up to help all children, between the ages of three months to 18 years in Ireland with cancer who need support with the costs associated with accessing treatment abroad.

Sponsored by Haughton & Young Ltd, the Remembrance Ball will take place on Saturday June 30 in Clontarf Castle and will be hosted by SPIN 1038's Nathan O'Reilly.

“Although I never met Laura, I’ve been told by those close to her that throughout her illness she was an advocate of positivity and via her personal blog, she made her rare condition known to the public; raising awareness on what it was truly like to live with cancer at such a young age,” Nathan said.

“I feel honoured to be part of the event and would ask that if you can, to support it fully.”

Tickets for the Laura O’Neill Remembrance Ball cost €70 and are available from Eventbrite.ie. For information on sponsorship opportunities contact event co-ordinator, Jane Keenan, at laura.remembranceball@gmail.com or 085-1555726.