Aoife O'Donovan was a wonderful fiancée, daughter, sister, auntie, cousin, niece and friend.
She sadly passed away on the 1st of May after a long battle with cervical cancer. A cycle will now take place in her name this weekend to honour her spirit.
A group, led by her fiancée Kevin Cullen, are doing a sponsored cycle from Dublin to Dungarvan on Sunday the 4th of September to raise money and awareness for the Irish Cancer Society. All proceeds of this fundraiser will be used for cancer research.
Over €29,000 has already been raised despite an initial goal of just €10,000. Aoife was diagnosed with cancer in November 2020.
“Initially, the prognosis was quite good, but we were told after another scan in March 2021 that the cancer had spread throughout Aoife’s lymphatic system and that it had gone too far to cure.”
Aoife worked for IBEC, and loved to travel with a great sense of adventure. They had previously lived in San Francisco and London before they got engaged in Stockholm.
“Her friends and family meant the world to her, she loved Harry Potter and spending time with her nephews.”
The couple cancelled their wedding when Aoife received her diagnosis.
“It’s just absolute torture. We wanted to start a family after we got married. Then when Aoife was in St James’s Hospital, I was trying my best to get a court injunction so that we could get married in the ward. We had our wedding scheduled for the Wednesday, but Aoife died on the Sunday before that. It’s absolutely horrendous. Aoife being such a fighter meant she survived for 18 months, and we got to keep her for that long but at the same time, cancer just keeps taking so when Aoife did pass away, she was really suffering.”
Kevin bought a house in Dungarvan when Aoife was sick so they could be close to her family, but they sadly never got to live there. Aoife was laid to rest in Abbeyside Church in Dungarvan and the cycle ride will end at the church.
He spoke to Damien Tiernan on this weekend's event on today's episode of Deise Today. You can hear the full interview by pressing the play button on the photo above.
You can donate to the cause by going to Cancer Cycle in Memory of Aoife O’Donovan on gofundme.com
