A loving tribute has been paid to a young Derry woman who died earlier this week following a lengthy battle with a brain tumour.
Known to her family and friends as "Dizzy," Emma McLaughlin, from Garden City, passed away on Monday last. She was aged 37.
Mourners at her Requiem Mass in St Patrick’s Church, Pennyburn, this afternoon, were told was “no justice, no fairness, no explanation and no making sense of the hand that Emma was dealt in life.”
A eulogy read out added: “A hand that was unrelentingly hard and painful by any standard, yet out of that hand she forged something incredible.
“In one short life she lived a thousand lives, gave a planet full of hugs, smiled a universe of smiles.
“What has come to pass has broken the hearts of those who love her.
“But like wonderful beautiful Emma, like wild horses, we must be true to the legacy of her resilient spirit and emerge unbroken.”
He went on to speak of Emma’s loving relationship with her daughter Hope and partner Harry.
“Emma and Harry fell in love, and together they made Hope, the light of her life.
“Their love for each other as a family was a joy to everyone around them.
“Harry’s patience and dedication to Emma has always been strong, beautiful and constant.
“Their daughter Hope is the creation of love, an incredible little person, an artist, a musician, with the spirit of her granny Berna, and her mammy.
“Emma will always be with us, through Hope.
“Emma had an ability to connect with people on such a deep and meaningful way and surrounded herself with genuine beautiful people.
“Emma’s passing brought an eclectic stream of stories and anecdotes from her friends, too numerous, some too off limits to be shared here.
“There will need to be a book of Emma Dilemmas, what would Emma do’s, an album of songs, a recipe book for living to be written after this.
“Some of the common themes of the stories which you will recognise were the massive hugs and full kisses on the lips, the dancing, the no excuses for not dancing: not shyness, not sobriety not even a bad leg would stop her and as she swayed and held your hand and made you move with her when she’d say ‘sure you’re dancin now’…
“Out and about, she just glowed.
“You couldn’t take your eyes off her all night, Nobody could. She glided effortlessly through any gathering, sitting on someone’s knee, embracing and hugging.
“Every person she met got a little bit of her glow too. With Emma there were no half measures, no polite reserve.
“It didn’t matter where she was, in Sainsburys, in TK maxx, on the street, she would look you directly in the eyes and say ‘I love you so much babes, you’re amazin’.
“Her best friend Sha has cared for her constantly and been by her side through many difficult times.
“They travelled every road together, often in the wrong direction. Not being allowed to drive anymore didn’t stop Emma’s adventures, like the time they drove to a party with Emma directing Sha in the dark.
“All was going ok until Sha could hear the long grass under the car and they were faced with a mountain goat at the window.
“Shrieking with laughter the two of them, Emma admitted she had absolutely no idea where they were.
“Over the past 14 years Emma has undergone three open brain surgeries and Gamma knife surgery.
“She never lay down to it and when she felt good she went for it with every ounce of passion and zest for life.
“She embraced the philosophies of the health institute Hippocrates to rid herself from cancer using food as her medicine and completely changed her lifestyle, she began a raw food diet, without even fruit or any sugar for three years.
“Emma did this with such determination and willpower and educated many people about their health.
“People who were themselves facing a diagnosis of cancer, would visit Harry and Emma’s home and they would teach them about the diet and offered them hope in their lives.
“Emma was a gift to us all, we have the opportunity to remember what she taught us and to use this to change and improve our lives and the lives of others around us.
“She lit up a path that those blessed to know her can follow.”
Photo shows Emma with her daughter Hope.
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