Family raise £12,000 in memory of beloved son

A LOVING family who sadly lost their son last year have expressed their deepest thanks to the Omagh, Cookstown and Kildress communities for helping them raise more than £12,000 for charity in his honour.

Mary and Francis Heagney, of St Julian’s Rise, Omagh and Dunnamore Road, Cookstown respectively, dearly miss their son, Paul Martin Heagney who died on November 7, 2020 after a well-fought battle with acute adrenal hyperplasia.

The deceased was also a beloved brother of Caroline, Michelle, Francis and Catherine, and a cherished uncle to Thom, Lyra, Isabel, Matthew, Charlotte, Mae-Rose and Ruadh.

To mark Paul’s first anniversary, remember his ‘bright and cheerful’ spirit, help others who are suffering health difficulties, and show gratitude to the doctors and nurses who cared for Mr Heagney for so many years, his parents Mary and Francis, an accountant, held a number of fundraising events – including coffee mornings and raffles in Omagh, and door-to-door collecting in Kildress – with the aim of raising as much money as possible for the ‘Medical and Surgical Fund’ within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

Speaking to the UlsterHerald, Mary and Francis said they were ‘eternally grateful’ to their local communities for their kind donations, help and support.

“We would like to thank all of our family, friends and neighbours who donated to our amazing cause,” they said. “In the end, a grand total of £12,024.62 was raised.

“We are extremely grateful for everyone’s support.”

Kate McDonald of Belfast Health and Social Care Trust expressed her thanks to the Heagneys for their ‘extremely generous’ donation.

“Donations such as these allow the Trust to provide additional equipment and services for patients and staff that would otherwise be unavailable through public funding,” she explained.

“Such donations also permit us to undertake vital research, and enhance both the service provided and the patient.”

Kate added, “On behalf of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, I, once again, would like to thank you for your generous donation, and give my best wishes to you.

“The details of this amazing donation have been passed to the team who cared for Paul for many years.”

May Paul rest in peace.