Fundraiser for Sinéad raises incredible amount for Hospice
A group from Westport who took part in the 2023 Mayo.ie Western People Women's Mini-Marathon in memory of the late Sinead Lambert. Picture: John O'Grady
The family of a Mayo woman has expressed gratitude to the Mayo Roscommon Hospice for its loving care in her final days.
Sinéad Lambert-Barroso, 55, died in the care of Mayo Roscommon Hospice in December 2022, leaving behind her loving husband José and their son Evan.
Sinéad was diagnosed with ocular cancer in 2014 but overcame the disease, which typified her fighting nature. However, in March 2022, she was diagnosed with a rare type of Stage 4 bone cancer and there was no treatment in Ireland for her. She qualified for a trial drug from overseas in late 2022, but unfortunately, the cancer had taken too much of a hold on the Westport native.
Sinéad was a much-loved figure in Westport where she ran Sol Rio Restaurant with her husband José.
Sinéad's family and friends took part in the Mayo.ie Western People West of Ireland Women’s Mini-Marathon last April to raise funds for Mayo Roscommon Hospice as a fitting tribute to her memory.
They raised an incredible total of €25,542, which consisted of €16,202 from a GoFundMe page and €9,340 from sponsorship cards and cheque donations.
It was the Lambert-Barroso family's way of thanking the charity that provided palliative care for Sinéad.
"It's very difficult when you're caring for a loved one at home, but it came to a time in December when her cancer became far more aggressive and spread far more quickly," Sinéad's sister, Cathríona Grady told the .
"Sinéad was reluctant to go into hospice, as a family we didn't want to force anything on her. She's our eldest sister, so we still knew our pecking order in the family. She had been going there for the day services and she loved it.
"Her long-term goal was when she got well, she would do some serious fundraising as a family to say thank you back. That's why we hopped on the fundraising train so quickly after Sinéad died and it helped us deal with her loss.
"When Sinéad went in, the people in the hospice from the front door to the staff on the desk, the nurses, the people in the canteen, everybody there was so good to us as a family."
Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation’s Ecumenical Service is taking place this Sunday at 3.45pm in Knock.
The service remembers all those we have lost with music and prayers. A candle is given to each person who then gives it to one of the celebrants telling them the name of the loved one whom the light is for.
Cathríona hopes that Sinéad's family and friends will attend the service on Sunday, to remember her late sister and give thanks to the Mayo Roscommon Hospice.
