Family of beloved mother to run 75km trek in her honour

The family of the late Marian Redmond is set to fulfil her final wish of running from Dublin to Arklow in aid of St Vincent’s Hospital.

In October last year, Marian tragically passed away after her long battle with cancer.

Marian’s son, Damien said that “unfortunately the end came suddenly for mam and we weren’t able to grant her wish to return home before she died.

“She passed peacefully in our arms in St Vincent’s Hospital.

“She never got the opportunity to complete her bucket list or make it home so we want to do it for her.”

On Saturday, April 15 Damien and Laoise Traynor will take part in a run from St Vincent’s Hospital in south Dublin to Marian’s house in Arklow to “take their mam home.”

The 75 kilometre journey is to “honour our mam’s memory but also to earn much needed funds for patients and families on St Anne’s Ward in St Vincent’s Hospital,” said Damien.

“We spent a large amount of time on St Anne’s ward and we will be forever thankful to Dr. Claire Andrews and her team.

“Their kindness and support kept us going and they fought just as hard as our mam to keep her with us,” he said.

First diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago, Marian regressed last year after initially going into remission.

“Her cancer was so aggressive, fierce and stubborn and should have taken her out long ago but our mother was fiercer and more stubborn,” her daughter, Lisa said.

“Her will to live was so strong.

“She was dealt a crappy hand but she repeatedly defied the odds because she never wanted to leave us and because she was an absolute badass.

“Her journey over the last four years was hard and she suffered a great deal but she never gave up, her spirit never broke and she always had a smile on her face.

“After every set back, she’d dust herself off and go again.”

Lisa says all the staff at St Vincent’s and on St Anne’s Ward made her mother’s “life a little brighter.

“My mother was sick during Covid which obviously meant we couldn’t go and see her, but they were so caring and not just to my mother but to all of us too,” Lisa said.

“They would constantly check in on her and comfort her if she was having bad day, they made life that bit easier for us all, they couldn’t have been any better.”

The family say they are hoping to reach Arklow on the evening of April 15 and there will be bucket collections on the day while an online fundraising page has already been set up

“Our mother fought so hard to stay with us and we are so proud of her,” said Lisa. “We are so proud of her and our love for her will never diminish. We will treasure all of the great memories we made.”

To donate to the Redmond family’s fundraiser visit idonate.ie/fundraiser/MarianRedmond