Over £3,000 raised for Foyle Hospice in memory of beloved mother

A local family has raised a substantial sum of money for Foyle Hospice in memory of their much-loved mother.

Derry woman Martina Keating passed away in 2014 after battling cancer.

The Keating family honoured their mum by raising funds and giving away a special hamper on Mother’s Day.

They chose to recognise the work of the Foyle Hospice which provided immense support while Martina was battling cancer.

Martina’s husband Michael, daughters Natasha and Elisha, and sons Nathan and Jack have all expressed their gratitude to those who donated.

Natasha said: “We would just like to say the support and generosity from everyone in Derry and my mum’s hometown, Monaghan, has been amazing.

“As a family we are so grateful to have raised over £3,000 we never expected for our fundraiser to have been so well received.

“We said we would hope to raise around £500 and that was achieved in less than 24hrs and when we reached targets we were setting new targets not expecting to meet them as we were happy with achieving our first target. But everyone surprised us and smashed every target we set.

“This means so much to us that everyone helped us remember our mammy is such a special way on Mother’s Day.

“And not forgetting the prize winner who was so deserving, a lovely girl who had sadly also lost her mother to cancer in 2019 and Foyle Hospice also helped her mother to the end.

“Laura is a mother herself so it was nice to see the prize going to her in the hope to send her some joy on a day she would be missing her own mum.”

Natasha previously told the Derry News that her mother always ‘lit up a room when she smiled’.

She was also someone who guided and nurtured her children.

Martina’s liver and bowel cancer diagnosis in 2014 came as a shock to the family.

Sadly, after a six-month battle she died at the age of 44.

The Foyle Hospice supported the family throughout, allowing them to comfort Martina until the end. 

In particular, one special nurse called Rose Green went above and beyond.

Now retired, Rose worked as part of the Community Specialist Palliative Care Team at the Hospice.

It is a group of specially trained nurses who provide professional palliative care expertise and support to patients and their families in their own home.