Wexford girl 'dies in her mammy’s arms' days before fifth birthday

Fiadh O'Connor, 4, sadly passed away on Wednesday, April 5 at her home in Co Wexford after a brave battle with cancer.

"It is with the saddest of hearts we share that our beautiful, precious Fiadh passed away peacefully at home days before her 5th birthday, cared for by her loving family, after an illness so bravely borne," a notice on RIP.ie reads.

“She died in her Mammy’s arms, holding her Daddy’s hand surrounded by love, with [younger brother] Páidí and all of her favourite people close by.

“We will miss her forever but take comfort that she died at home, where she belongs and was looked after with love by her aunties.

"Fiadh was an amazing, clever, kind, fun, and most treasured and loved child. She captured everyone’s hearts. 

“Fiadh was so brave throughout her illness and she approached every day with resilience and strength, more than we will ever know in our lifetime."

The notice added: “Fiadh wore her bravery like a crown and we will always be so immensely proud of her, heaven has gained an angel and a piece of our hearts forever.”

Fiadh will be reposing in her home in Co Wexford on Friday, April 7, from 12 to 8pm. Her funeral will be held at St. John the Baptist Church, The Ballagh at 12 pm on Saturday, April 8 with burial afterward.

The O'Connor family has requested that if desired, donations can be made to Aoibheann’s Pink Tie in Fiadh’s memory online here.

Before Christmas 2019, one-year-old Fiadh was diagnosed with a Stage 4 neuroblastoma tumor, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. The tumor was 14cm long and had spread to her bones, bone marrow, and lungs and was pressing on her liver and bowel.

In 2020, the "Future For Fiadh" GoFundMe was launched to help support the O'Connor family. It has since gone on to raise more than €651,000.

After the GoFundMe was launched, Maeve O'Connor, a cousin of Fiadh's mother Laura, told the Irish Voice, sister publication to IrishCentral: “I don't think there are adequate words to say how touched we are and how overwhelmed we are as a family to see what people have done to help and share our story.

"Everyone from rugby stars to football stars, to people working in fashion and beauty.

"It's been amazing to see how much people will contribute and, how many people will actually help us get the word out there.”

While Fiadh finished her frontline treatment in Crumlin in the summer of 2021, her family was heartbroken to announce that the cancer had returned in July 2022. A few weeks later, Fiadh was in New York receiving treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering. She returned to Ireland and started a new round of chemotherapy that August.

In February of this year, the O'Connor family was dealt the "devastating" news that Fiadh had a 4cm tumor, which was discovered less than two weeks after she received an all-clear result from her latest scan.

Sadly, on March 24, an update on the GoFundMe page said: "Metastatic tumour has been found in Fiadh’s neck, the surgical team tried to remove it but were not able to safely do so.

"Her disease is so aggressive, the tumor that was removed from her abdomen at the end of February had already spread.

"Her disease is no longer curable."