Supporter Sinéad talks about creating an In-Memory page in honour of her mom, Bríd Gibbons.

“Mom was such a kind, caring and thoughtful person. She was great at taking things in her stride and keeping us grounded. If we ever had any issues, we’d chat to Mom. She’d make us see the bigger picture and we’d always feel so much better about things. She was a wonderful role model, and we are so grateful for that.

L-R Emily, Paddy, Bríd, Ian, Sinéad, Stephen.

“Mom suffered with Rheumatoid Arthritis for the last ten years of her life”. During her flare ups, she had difficulty walking and driving. She would be in a lot of pain and it was so difficult to see her go through that."

“Back in 2015, Mom and I completed a course with Arthritis Ireland in Galway, which we both found so beneficial. It was wonderful to meet and talk to so many people, to hear about their experiences with different forms of Arthritis, and to get tips on pain management. It helped Mom, and it also helped me and the rest of my family to take better care of her."

“When Mom passed away in April 2021, we decided to raise funds for Arthritis Ireland at her funeral. Although Mom didn’t pass away from Arthritis, it was the condition we had seen her suffer with the most, so we felt it was the most suitable charity. Mom sadly passed away from Metastatic Malignant Melanoma, a rare and aggressive form of Skin Cancer. Within 5 weeks of being admitted to hospital, with suspected Kidney Stones, Mom passed away suddenly and unexpectantly from this terrible disease. In the near future, we hope to raise awareness for Skin Cancer in her memory, also."

“Setting up an In Memory page is such a wonderful way to keep Mom’s memory alive. When I saw it was an option, I immediately thought “Oh that’s a great idea!” and the rest of my family were immediately on board as well. “We talk about Mom every day and reminisce on all of the fond memories we have with her. We love sharing stories about Mom with her only grandchild Liam. It is important to us that he remembers her because she adored him so much. Our home is filled with all of these special memories which we will cherish forever. She was so special – we want her to be remembered forever, and her In Memory page means that we can share those memories while also raising money to help increase awareness of Arthritis and give help to families or people who are suffering. Having seen Mom go through that pain, we really want to help make sure other people get the help they need. It is absolutely what Mom would have wanted, she loved to help people in any way she could.”

We're so grateful to Sinéad and the Gibbons family for sharing their story with us and honoured by their incredible generosity during a difficult time. If you'd like to learn more about creating an in-memory page for a loved one please don't hesitate to reach out to [email protected]