Author Emma’s bravery to be honoured with breast cancer research fellowship
IN her final days, Emma Hannigan’s unfailing good humour and strength inspired an outpouring of support for the charity that hopes to beat the disease she fought.
Now, one month after the bestselling author died, it has emerged that she will be honoured with a new fellowship in cancer research.
Ms Hannigan, whose final work, Letters To My Daughter, topped the book charts recently, disclosed in mid-February that her cancer had reached its terminal phase.
Her honesty and bravery inspired fans to contribute over €126,000 to the charity Breast Cancer Ireland, for whom she served as an ambassador.
Breast Cancer Ireland has now established the Emma Hannigan Breast Cancer Research Fellowship, a three-year award that will support pioneering research.
The inaugural award will go to Dr Damier Varislija and will take place in the Breast Cancer Research Centre in Dublin’s Royal College of Surgeons.
‘The naming of this fellowship in Emma’s honour recognises her valuable contribution to our research efforts and it ensures her memory lives on in transforming the landscape of breast cancer in Ireland into the future,’ said Breast Cancer Ireland CEO Aisling Hurley.
Ms Hannigan died at the age of 45 after battling breast cancer on ten occasions.
The mother of two discovered in 2005 that she carried the BRCA1 gene, which left her with a higher chance of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. To reduce the risk, she had her breasts and ovaries removed in 2006 – but the following year she was diagnosed with cancer in the neck, shoulder and underarm. She successfully fought the disease on a number of occasions before it came back for the final time in late 2017.
On February 16 last, Ms Hannigan, whose novels included Talk To The Headscarf, wrote an emotional post on her website, discussing her love for her husband Cian and their children Sacha and Kim.
She also wrote: ‘Life is so very precious. We never know the day or hour it will be whipped away. So fill your days with as much happiness as you can muster.’
Breast Cancer Ireland raises funds to fund breast cancer research and promote education and awareness on the importance of breast health.