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TELEVISION presenter Lorraine Kelly has paid tribute to Strabane woman, Sarah Harrison, following her passing last week.
Mrs Harrison, who had been named as Lorraine’s Woman of the Year in October, is originally from Strabane but had been living in the North East of England with her husband Chris and children Alice and Charlie. She was also the founder of Sarah’s Star, a support charity.
The charity was born from Mrs Harrison’s personal journey after she was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer in 2019.
Rather than withdrawing, she transformed her experience into a mission to support others, creating a compassionate community that today offers holistic therapies, bereavement counselling, and safe, reflective spaces for healing.
News of the Strabane native’s passing was announced on Wednesday through the charity’s social media page.
On Thursday morning, during the popular UTV show Lorraine, the Scottish host paid an emotional tribute to Sarah, describing her as “an amazing woman and a trailblazer”.
“All of the women who have received our Woman of the Year Award over the years have been remarkable, and I’ve been very proud to be associated with it,” Lorraine Kelly said. “I had the chance to talk to Sarah – she was truly a special person.”
Lorraine added, “She and her sister Johanne, who sat on this sofa a month ago, were so close and almost finished each other’s sentences.
“Sarah did an incredible thing. We’re not very good at talking about death, but she made it easier for people.
She created places where people could drop in — she called them ‘death cafés’, which sounds strange, but they were great places, somewhere people could go and live.”
“Her courage and compassion changed lives, and her legacy will live on.”
Sarah Harrison’s funeral will be live streamed on the The Parish of Saint Cuthbert and Saint Joseph, North Shields. Facebook page on December 19 at 11.30am.
