Aoife was just 25 when she died on the 15th of April 2026, after a life marked by courage, loss, and quiet strength. Her mother Tanya, brother Patrick, Tanya’s partner Rob and family shared their experience.

She was a gentle, bright young woman who loved make-up and worked hard at school. Her life was turned upside-down when her father died from cancer. After that, her health began to decline—she was constantly exhausted, losing weight, and in pain. Eventually, she was diagnosed with a serious illness and endured six gruelling months of chemotherapy. Still, Aoife fought back, determined to live normally, finding work in the Civil Service and holding onto the things she loved.

In 2023, everything changed. While out for lunch on New Year’s Day, Aoife suddenly collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. She survived because her friends, along with others around her, carried out CPR until paramedics arrived. Little did they know, that would be the first of seven cardiac arrests she would suffer. In hospital, her family were told her heart was functioning at just 10%. Doctors believed a virus had attacked her heart, thankfully, after being in 3 different hospitals she began to recover, returning home with a defibrillator vest.

She went on to have one of the happiest times of her life on a family trip to Australia visiting her brother Patrick. Although he was living far away the two were always very close, they spoke every day and texted all day. Her mother said it was “the best that Aoife had been in a very long time.”

But soon after, her beloved granny and granda died months apart and along with that trauma they noticed her health declining again. Her speech became slurred, her balance unsteady. After months of uncertainty and repeated hospital stays, a rare enterovirus affecting her brain was diagnosed—so rare she was only the third adult in the UK to have it. A brain biopsy confirmed it, but left her struggling to communicate and swallow. Despite every effort, there was no improvement, and the decision was made to focus on keeping Aoife comfortable. They had spoken to the palliative care team in Belfast and when they met with Dr Damien McMullan the Palliative Care Consultant in Foyle Hospice they were referred.

When Aoife arrived at the hospice, her family were overwhelmed. “Gary the ward nurse could see that I was struggling,” her mother said. “He sat me down and made sure I had a cup of tea while they took Aoife into her room… he was so kind and reassuring. That was the start of our amazing time in the Hospice.”

What they found there was more than care—it was a place that felt like home. “Everyone there became like a member of our family,” she said. “From the catering staff and admin team to the maintenance man and all of the carers, nurses and medical team… they made us feel like we were at home. I could be Aoife’s mammy again; I did not have to worry about the medical side of things. One of the nursing assistants, Rose, was like a mammy to me and a grandmother to Aoife, she truly was an angel to us. All of the staff became an extension of our family. I don’t know what we would have done without them.”

In the hospice, they were free to simply be together. “It was great to be able to visit whenever we wanted,” her brother said. “I could stay overnight and not worry about visiting hours.” Even their younger cousins felt it – they called it “the best hotel,” enjoying ice pops and biscuits from the care team while they all got time to spend together.

One of Aoife’s wishes was to visit her father’s grave. With the hospice’s help, it became possible. “We never thought it would be,” her family said, “but on St. Patrick’s Day we went with flowers that Katrina one of the hospice nurses had kindly given us and then drove for an ice cream. Aoife was in great form. Above all, she just wanted to live a normal life – and that’s what we were doing that day.”

The family filled Aoife’s room with life – decorating it for Easter, sharing meals, and creating moments of joy. “When we moved in, the staff told us we could bring anything from home – and we did,” her family said. “We had a wonderful day with all of her aunts, uncles and cousins.

“We shared simple but precious moments, like a big Chinese takeaway night together. The catering staff made sure we had everything we needed — nothing was ever too much,” they said. “When I say it was our home away from home, I really mean it.”

Even their dog was able to visit, bringing comfort and familiarity. And the care extended beyond Aoife. “Not only did they take care of her; they took care of all of us too,” her family said. “They made sure we ate, offered treatments like reflexology… we felt like they were family.”

In those final weeks, there was warmth, laughter, and love. Tanya said “Gary came in one day and said that he had a crochet blanket that he thought Aoife would love. We couldn’t believe how attached she got to that blanket; it gave her comfort and security. I now have it with me and it is now my comfort blanket.”

“The memories we have with Aoife at the hospice are not sad ones,” they said. “It is not a sad place. It was a place where we could all be together as a family… making memories that we will have forever.”

Aoife’s life was far too short, but in the end, she was surrounded by comfort, dignity, and love and that is how she will always be remembered.