A Co Down man has opened up on the heartbreaking loss of his mum to cancer ten months ago as he unveils a touching musical tribute to thank those who cared for her in her final days.
Damian McMahon was deeply affected by the death of his mother, Martha, 76, last year, six months after being told she had terminal cancer.
The mum-of-three from Newry was diagnosed with advanced biliary tract cancer, one of the deadliest and rarest forms of cancer, in April 2021.
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Also referred to as bile duct cancer, this tumour occurs in the mucosa of the bile duct, the tubes carrying bile between the liver, gall bladder and intestines.
This cancer is difficult to diagnose, and therefore, most patients are not diagnosed with the disease until after it has had time to spread.
But Martha's symptoms were initially put down to the after effects of a previous stroke and the menopause.
"It has been a tough rollercoaster ride over the past ten months from mum's diagnosis to her death, all within the space of a few months," Damian told Belfast Live.
"Mum had all the symptoms two to three years prior to her diagnosis. These included fatigue, lack of energy, loss of appetite at times and generally feeling unwell, all of which was put down to a stroke she suffered back in 2005.
"All the tests that were done came back fine but one major factor was really bad sweating episodes she experienced at night. My mother's GP told her she was still experiencing the symptoms of the menopause even though she said she'd went through all that when she was 55 and 'surely not still at 74'.
"We just took all that as being what is was, but if you string it all together it would have set alarm bells ringing. All of those symptoms were individual conversations with the GP over several months but they were never joined up to confirm something more serious."
Damian said Martha's eventual diagnosis came as a huge shock.
"It was something we never ever expected because we had got her through the pandemic and she never caught Covid. Of course we do look back now and wonder if our mother had been diagnosed earlier, would things have been a lot different?" he added.
"If detected early, there is the option of surgery and chemotherapy which can be reasonably successful and prolong life by around 25%.
"Initially we couldn't see any change in our mother until the weight loss and jaundice set in around the end of August. Prior to that we thought it was great that she was still in good spirits, eating and getting about.
"We had no idea what to expect from her illness or what was ahead of us in terms of caring for her as we'd never been down this road before."
In the early hours of October 24, 2021, Martha sadly lost her battle with the disease and passed away peacefully at home with her three children Damian, 56, Liam, 50, and Jennifer, 42, beside her.
"She was fully prepared for it and had her funeral all planned so she fully accepted what was ahead. But while she had come to terms with it all, I don't think we had. We always hoped and prayed that it wouldn't happen so it was all very traumatic on many levels," Damian added.
To honour Martha's memory, Damian, an artist, recently embarked on a unique fundraising campaign in aid of Marie Curie. To date, he has raised nearly £1,700 from donations towards a crystal embellished portrait of the singer Boy George, who his late mum loved.
Damian’s connection with Marie Curie is personal one – as they supported Martha and the family in the aftermath of her diagnosis.
He explained: "My mother and I have long been a fan of Boy George and Culture Club. She saw him in concert a few years before her illness. She was thrilled when I started the portrait in January 2021, but tragically she lost her battle before the portrait was finished.
"By September of that year and towards the end of her life, my mother required assistance from Marie Curie. The nurses provided an outstanding level of care, compassion and dignity towards my mother.
"They helped unburden the stress and trauma I was experiencing. This allowed me to have a window of opportunity to catch up on sleep, unwind, have some quality time to myself, even time to release anxiety levels, such as crying, in my own private time and space."
Damian added: "Marie Curie nurses also helped prepare me for my mum's end of life by just talking and off-loading my fears, worries and anxieties.
"I cannot thank the entire Marie Curie team enough for all the support to me but more importantly sharing their wonderful sensitive skills in care towards my mother. Myself, my sister Jennifer and brother Liam are indebted to the entire team."
Damian's artwork was recently unveiled at Buttercrane Shopping Centre and one donor drawn at random will win the 48 x 60 inch framed piece, which is detailed with Swarovski elements.
To support this cause, visit here.
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