Anne-Marie’s story
Anne-Marie was a loving daughter, a wonderful sister to Adam and Natalie and a trusted friend. She had a brilliant future ahead of her and was a grade A student in St. Philomena Secondary School for Girls. Anne-Marie enjoyed life to the full and loved playing netball, rounders, reading and singing along to her favourite boy band, Westlife. The boys in the group sent a Christmas message to Anne-Marie via a video and Brian McFadden phoned her on her mobile shortly before her death. Anne-Marie was a keen Irish dancer prior to her teenage years and won numerous medals and trophies.
During a family holiday in Mauritius in August 2002, Anne-Marie began to show unusual symptoms, such as dizziness, double vision and unsteadiness. On return to England, Anne-Marie was diagnosed with a grade IV brainstem glioma for which there is no cure. The love and strength of Anne-Marie’s extended family and friends saw her through the next seven months during which she had six weeks of radiotherapy.
“Anne-Marie never gave up and her loving spirited nature shone through right to the end.”
Anne-Marie spent Christmas in Ireland with her family, aunts, uncles and cousins. In January 2003 Anne-Marie decided to return to school twice a week and enjoyed being back with her friends and being in the gang again. Sadly, this did not last long; by the end of January she was too ill again to attend school.
Anne-Marie never gave up and her loving spirited nature shone through right to the end. Anne-Marie sadly died on 28th March 2003 just two weeks before her sixteenth birthday.
Since Anne-Marie’s untimely death, her family have been fundraising to help try and find a cure for this devastating illness by organising a charity dance on or near Anne-Marie’s birthday.