On Sunday we lost Mary, my mum after a short illness. 

She was the bravest, most determined person I ever met and I'm lucky I got to keep her for so long. It's now Dad and Raymond's turn to have her back with them. 

We were on holiday in New York after returning from Christmas in Florida together. Mum had never been on a beach holiday before and fell in love with Palm Beach and the sunshine. We had such a lovely time and I'm thankful for the time we had.

12 years ago (a year after I lost my Dad), Mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour, whilst it was benign it was life threatening. I was told she was unlikely to make it, she was little and the tumour was big. The staff at the Royal showed enormous care for her. Before she went into surgery, the surgeon told her he would look after her life and hand it back to her afterwards. He fulfilled his promise and miraculously I was given 12 more years with mum.

In thanks to them and to hopefully ensure more people are given extra time, please feel free to donate in lieu of flowers to the intensive care unit at The Royal Victoria, Belfast on this page.

Mary's family and friends thank you for your support.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.