Parents of Holly Gormley are honoured at awards

THE parents of Holly Gormley, an 11-year-old girl who tragically passed away last year after a six-month battle with aplastic anaemia, were honoured last week for their incredible fundraising efforts in her memory.

Claire and Gareth Gormley travelled to London to receive the Individual or Group Fundraiser of the Year award at the prestigious Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards.

Holly Gormley was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia in January 2023 after experiencing fatigue and unexplained bruising. The rare and serious condition, where the body stops producing enough blood cells, was confirmed following a series of tests at Belfast’s Children’s Hospital. Despite receiving a stem cell transplant, Holly sadly passed away in July 2023, leaving her family and the wider community heartbroken.

In the wake of their tragic loss, the Gormleys dedicated themselves to fundraising and raising awareness for the Anthony Nolan Trust, a charity that works with leukaemia and blood disorder patients, focusing on stem cell transplants. Through their tireless efforts, they raised over £12,000 for the Trust and recruited 168 young people from St. Catherine’s School in Strabane to join the stem cell register.

Their work included organising charity concerts, awareness events at local schools, and blood donation drives, all in Holly’s memory. These efforts not only honoured Holly’s legacy but also contributed to lifesaving efforts for others in need of stem cell transplants.

Speaking after receiving the award, Holly’s mother Claire paid tribute to everyone who helped them honour Holly’s memory, commenting, “To all of our amazing family and friends who helped us honour our beautiful, brave, wonderful Holly. This award is in recognition of every single person that donated and to each individual that joined the stem cell register. We are very proud of our generous community and we know Holly is so proud.

“For you… our amazing, sweet, beautiful Holly … we love you so much and miss you desperately. Holly, you were too perfect for this world.”