Paul Keenan
A fundraising ball for health services in Co. Clare, prompted by a young woman’s unshakeable belief in angels, will take place this May 20. The Pink Angel Ball owes its name to the description Maureen Lavery offered of the figure she said was accompanying her through her final months with terminal cancer. Maureen died in January 2012 aged just 27.
Since then, and drawn to Maureen’s courageous example in facing her illness, people from across Ireland have made the Pink Angel Ball an annual success in raising funds for cancer care and other services, and they hope to repeat the success this year once more.
Preparations
Speaking to The Irish Catholic this week amid preparations for the sixth Pink Angel Ball, Maureen’s mother, Mairead, said that while her daughter “had been to Hell and back” during her final illness “she was never afraid, and always smiling”.
“Maureen always said, ‘I’m fine, the pink angel is with me’,” Mairead said, adding, “her belief was always so strong.”
Funds from the Pink Angel Ball, to be held at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon, Co. Clare, will benefit Cahercalla Community Hospital and Hospice, and Slainte an Chalir, which provides cancer support and relies on donations for its existence.
The Maureen Lavery Pink Angel Ball can be found on Facebook.