Hi folks,

As some of you may be aware, this year marks the 20th Anniversary of my Mum, Deirdres death. 

I really wanted mark the occasion in some way & also wanted to get The Foyle Hospice involved.......on the 10th Anniversary in 2009, I completed the London Marathon with the Hospice.......so it needed to be something much bigger........something much tougher..........

So I decided on attempting the 21 day challenge..........completing “3 Marathons in 3 Weeks” to raise funds for The Foyle Hospice in my Mums memory. 

I will be running:

      1.    The Asics Manchester Marathon

      2.    The Schneider Paris Marathon 

      3.    The Virgin London Marathon

all in April...........all in the space of 21 days

A bit of background on my Mums story for those who don’t know.......

My Mum was diagnosed with cancer on April 2nd 1999, a tumour was found pressing on her oesophagus & even with immediate treatment the disease quickly spread to her bones & then her brain & she sadly died not long after, on the 7th August 1999. She was only 42 when we lost her.

Me & Rachelle were obviously pretty young at the time, but I remember vividly every detail of those few months, from hearing the diagnosis in April.......to being told that there was nothing else the doctors could do for her & that I was going to lose the person I loved most in the world way earlier than any child should have to.

Even though 20 years have passed, I still remember what her voice sounded like.........still remember her smile........what perfume she wore. 

I was definitely a mammies boy & I felt like my world ended the day she died...........in some ways maybe it did.

Little did I know at the time, that her death would go on to shape every aspect of my life, both positively & negatively. 

It’s not something I speak about very often.....but I struggled with my grief for a long time & it ate away at me from the inside out. Being the stereotypical “Young Male” I refused to talk about anything & I ended up losing a lot of relationships & people who were close to me before I even realised I had an issue. Thankfully now I’m able to use that in a more constructive way by doing positive things like this in my Mums honour.

Obviously the main reason for taking on this challenge, is to raise money for The Foyle Hospice. Its a charity very close to mine & my family’s heart, as its where my Mum spent her last few days & hours before she passed. We have also had other family members cared for in the Hospice since then.

 I’m sure most of the Derry locals will have had dealings with the Hospice at one stage or another & will know how invaluable this organisation is to the wider community in this area. It really can’t be overstated how important they are.

They rely heavily on donations........which is why I’m doing what I’m doing......and why I’m asking you all to please put your hands in your pockets.😉

Every penny that comes through this page goes directly to the Hospice & you will.......literally.........be helping to care for people who are in desperate need of it.

Please give what you can...........

Thank you in advance.

Deirdre O’ Neill

4/5/1957 - 7/8/1999