Thousands raised in memory of Carrickmore nurse

OVER £22,000 has been raised in memory of a ‘kind-hearted’ nurse and founding member of Termonmaguirc Cancer Patients Comfort Fund.

Vera McElroy (pictured below), from Carrickmore, died on December 22 last year after battling cancer.

Her family’s recent fundraiser, ‘Stepout4Vera’, raised £22,589 for the Termon cancer charity which Vera helped form over 45 years ago.

Vera had been the Practice Nurse in Carrickmore for 52 years and was well known to the many patients from all over West Tyrone.

The McElroy family set themselves a stepping challenge of 7,800 steps per day for 30 days starting on what would have been Vera’s 78th birthday on May 30, 2020.

Hundreds of thousands of steps later, the family were able to present a cheque to Termonmaguirc Cancer Patients Comfort Fund in memory of their late mother, wife, sister, aunt and grandmother.

The fundraiser raised over £18,589 with another £4,000 expected from gift aid.

Speaking following the fundraiser, the McElroy family said, “We are delighted to present this money on behalf of every single person who donated to the challenge.

“Our friends, neighbours, and members of the community who knew mammy donated in Vera’s name.”

Vera’s children Frances, Katherine, Gavan, Davitt, Jayne and husband Frank were keen to support Termonmaguirc Cancer Patients Comfort Fund because of Vera’s dedication to the charity for over 45 years.

The Termonmaguirc Cancer Patients Comfort Fund is a unique charity as every penny raised is used to financially support cancer patients linked to Carrickmore Health Centre or people who live in the parish of Termonmaguirc.

Since its formation, the charity has raised and distributed hundreds of thousands of pounds supporting people and families living with cancer.

The McElroys said they received support from friends and family in Canada, USA and Australia and of course much closer to home in Carrickmore and from Vera’s family in Banbridge and Lurgan.

The family continued, “We are indebted to everyone who donated to the fundraiser from far and wide. If we didn’t know the esteem in which mammy was held in before, we do now.

“This donation to the Termonmaguirc Cancer Patients Comfort fund is only a small token that acknowledges the committees friendship and support to mammy during her own journey with cancer and indeed the amazing work the committee and trustees do in the community for all the other cancer patients.”