LAST Thursday morning, eight-year-old Sophie Mulcahy emitted her final breath after battling courageously with rare medical disorder, 1Q43 Deletion, since her birth in July 2006.
Sophie’s story touched the hearts of not just her local community in Rhebogue, but all across County Limerick and even overseas. Her father Liam put in a tireless fundraising effort to finance a series of operations at Crumlin Children’s Hospital, setting up the Cycle4SickChildren cycling team to leave a lasting legacy for Sophie.
When she was born, Sophie was given just four days to live, but she fought against her terminal illness for eight years – eight years in which her father Liam, mother Stacey, brother Dion and sister Kayla went above and beyond in their efforts to provide any help they could possibly get for Sophie.
We would all like to think that a person would spend the first eight years of their life growing up, making new friends and using their free time to play games and explore the world around them. That idyllic childhood was denied to Sophie, who was forced to overcome several open heart operations just to help her cling to life.
Amid the avarice and greed that overshadows much of our daily lives, the courage and integrity of the Mulcahy family, and the many people who did so much to help their cause, is a testament to what the people of Limerick and Ireland are truly about.
When a friend or neighbour is in distress, our first thought is to drop what we’re doing and try to help them in whatever way we can. Even in this seemingly hectic world of ours, stories like Sophie’s demonstrate that community spirit and goodwill is in abundance in this land.
At a hugely emotional funeral service at St John’s Cathedral last Saturday, Fr Seamus Madigan paid tribute to Sophie by saying that she “brought out the best in people”.
She most certainly did.
Sophie may have lost her fight for life, but she has won so many hearts in Limerick and beyond.
