A YOUNG MOTHER who raised nearly €100,000 in a bid to get life-saving cancer treatment unavailable in Ireland has died.
Claire Graham (38) passed away on Monday after fighting a brain tumour and breast cancer. She was also caring for her two-year-old son Harley who was diagnosed with cancer and had surgery to remove his eye.
Graham had been raising money to get access to the drug Pembrolizumab, which is not available in Ireland. It is currently being trialled in a number of other jurisdictions.
This morning, a statement appeared on Graham’s official fundraising Facebook page Share4Claire announcing that she had passed away.
The statement read: Yesterday, we lost our fighter Claire. A beautiful lady inside and out, Claire battled to the end. Claire’s Army want to thank each and every person who helped Claire reach the target and supported her throughout everything.
We want to extend our heartfelt condolences to Claire’s amazing husband Declan, their beautiful son Harley, Claire’s family and friends and to all who’s lives Claire touched. Rest in Peace Beautiful lady. Forever in our minds, hearts and lives, we thank you for being part of our unbreakable community. Love you always, Your October Mammies. x
Speaking to TheJournal.ie last month, Graham said that the community spirit in her hometown of Drimnagh, Dublin, had really helped her along but she knew the cancer was getting worse.
“I’m alive today and I’m doing everything I can. I believe it’s all going to work out the way it’s supposed to.”
Describing how she’s doing then, Graham said, “My breast cancer is really escalating so they’ve put me on a drug to try and keep it at bay but my most recent scan for my brain tumour shows it’s reducing as it should be.
I’ve had a mammy my whole life and I want Harley to have that too.
She described Drimnagh as “an old style community with a new fresh generation”.
“The community spirit is keeping me going, from organising a pub quiz next week to a coffee morning this morning, people are doing everything they can.”
With reporting from Cliódhna Russell.
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