Woman who lost daughter to cancer sets up charity to fulfil lasting memories

A County Derry woman who lost her daughter to a rare form of cancer has set up her own charity to fulfil lasting memories for those battling cancer. 

Geraldine Magill, from Ballymaguigan, sadly lost her daughter Lisa to a rare and aggressive form of cancer called sarcoma. Lisa had just turned 30 when she was diagnosed and later passed away in 2017.

The mother and charity founder spoke to the County Derry Post about her daughter’s cancer journey and the inspiration behind her charity named ‘Dreams2Memories’. 

The Magill family had been living in Queensland in Australia for 27 years. Lisa, who lived in Sydney with the rest of the family, later settled in Brisbane. Lisa had been visiting her family for a holiday when she confided in her mother Geraldine about a lump that she had found on her side. 

“We went out on a walk and Lisa told me how she had been at the doctor because she had a bit of a lump on her left hand side,” Geraldine recalled. 

“I  thought this was a cyst so I got her to show it to me. Prior to that, Lisa would agree she was a bit of a hypochondriac. It was a bit of humour in the family. Instead it was a lump the size of half an Easter Egg at the bottom of her ribcage. We were both feeling it and I was saying how unusual it was. It transpired that she had gone to a medical centre instead of her own doctor so I said why haven’t you gone to your own doctor. The doctor at the medical centre told her it was a kidney infection.

“So I said to Lisa if it was that you would generally feel it in your back, not your front. She agreed and neither of us thought it was that. She later saw her own doctor, who was brilliant, and they sent her for a scan and an x-ray. The doctor knew it was a tumour straight away. They weren’t sure whether it was cancerous so they sent her in for surgery. Lisa went in for surgery and they removed a 17cm tumour off the back of her stomach. It went round Australia and nobody could classify what it was. Finally it went to America and they came back and said it was sarcoma. It was a rare cancer that they hadn’t seen before. From there they threw the strongest chemo they had at it. About eight months into it they told Lisa she was clear. Sadly six months later we were told it was back again.” 

Lisa fought cancer for five years and during this time she published a blog called ‘Terminally Fabulous’. Even today the blog has close to 60,000 followers. 

Geraldine said the support they received throughout this time was amazing, especially from the County Derry community at home.

“Lisa would spend the night talking to people in the UK during the night when her pain was at its worst. She could speak to people in similar situations. The blog to Lisa was the good, the bad and the ugly. During this time we got involved with a charity in Australia called ‘Dreams2Live4’. They make dreams come true for adults battling cancer. They had been reading Lisa’s blog and wanted to make her dream come true. Before we knew it we were on a plane to Broome on the opposite side of Australia for a five day holiday. At this point Lisa was on a constant pain driver of opioids. This could only be filled by medical practitioners. My husband Peter and I knew how to give injections but we didn’t know how to fill the driver. We worried if Lisa would be ok on the flight because she would have tumour bleeds. There was a lot we thought we couldn’t do. However when ‘Dreams2Live4’ stepped in they reached out to Lisa’s medical team who taught us to fill the driver, then reached out to Broome to organise where we would go if Lisa had an event, like a tumour bleed. We had a wheelchair organised for us when we got this too. They thought of everything that needs to be sorted when you can’t think straight,” she said. 

Reflecting on that magical trip away Geraldine continued: “The trip was so perfect. Lisa said when she was there it was the most normal she had felt in a long time. The cancer hadn’t gone anywhere and she was carrying around her driver but she was in a different environment. Broome is absolutely beautiful, the sunsets are out of this world. It was an escape, as Lisa’s full time carer it felt you were waiting on the next event.

“By the time Lisa passed there was nothing left of her. Being so young, her heart was strong. She did not want to die. One of her biggest fears was she was going to miss out on so much and she’d be forgotten, which could never happen, the fact that the blog still has 60,000 followers is a testament to that.” 

When Lisa passed away, Geraldine was inspired to start her own charity to help other people and families going through cancer. The family also made the decision to move home after Lisa’s death. 

“When I came home I looked after my parents until they passed. I felt we were meant to come home. I know the health service and the waiting times here aren't great but all I could think to myself was how grateful I am. We didn’t have waiting times in Australia so I was thinking what could I do. That’s how ‘Dreams2memories’ started. I reached out to ‘Dreams2Live4’, who helped our family, they offered me amazing support and helped me with documentation. I have been very lucky in setting the charity up. I started in March and we were approved within three months. Since that we have been going steady. I have seven dream requests at the moment. 

“The first request we worked on was for a lovely couple Joe and Audrey. Joe had planned an engagement in New York and just before they went he got diagnosed with cancer. Sadly the trip was postponed so he organised to take Audrey down to Castle Leslie in Monaghan. Audrey reached out to me hoping for a dream to come true, Joe wanted a helicopter ride. Castle Leslie donated a five night honeymoon for them. As a surprise we organised a helicopter ride around the area for them. It was so special, they had the best time. 

ABOVE: Joe and Audrey received an extra surprise. 

“Another dream we have worked was for a lady Laura who wanted a puppy dog to comfort her through her illness so we organised that. Her daughter loved Shih Tzu dogs so it was a comfort to her to have the dog. When something happens to her mum she will have the pup by her side. 

ABOVE: Geraldine helping to make this lady's dream of owning a puppy a reality 

“Most recently we are working on getting a dreamer to meet Westlife. The dreamer is getting the chance to meet them at a concert in London this month. Shane Filan wanted to do something really special for the lady. That is massive. The lady has had a real spring in her step since she found out. I couldn’t be any happier for her.” 

Geraldine explained how working on the charity is a way to deal with her grief. She explained how she likes to keep focused and busy. She also loves helping people because she knows how much that dream meant to her family. 

When it comes to the future of the charity Geraldine would love a presence in every hospital in Northern Ireland. She also hopes for more volunteers and funding. The charity will be officially launched in Dunadry Hotel Antrim in March 2026. 

Geraldine has encouraged anyone who is going through cancer and wants their dream to come true to come forward. She is committed to doing her best to offer support. She can’t promise she can make every dream come true but will always do what she can. 

For more information visit dreams2memories.co.uk or check out their Facebook page Dreams2Memories.