The son of a local Derry man who died after a battle with cancer has paid tribute to his father for his dedication to a local charity in the city.
The late Danny Sheerin, or ‘The Running Man’ as he was affectionately known in Derry, was a well-known figure in the city, often seen pounding the pavements and raising funds for charity.
The local legend kept on running even after his cancer diagnosis and was cared for by one of the many charities he raised money for countless times in his final weeks before he died in August.
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His son, Martin Sheerin, described what his father's work meant to the family and explained how they want to keep their "daddy's legacy" going.
Sporting t-shirts in his memory, Danny's family turned out for the Foyle Hospice Male Run/Walk last week, raising an amazing £2,000 to date.
“We did the walk because it’s exactly what my Daddy would have done,” he said.
“My Daddy was a great man for collecting for the Foyle Hospice and doing sponsorships for them so we are doing this in his honour as he’s no longer here to do it.
"We want to do our best to continue on with our Daddy’s legacy. He was a very well-known man in Derry and such a lovely man.”
“My Daddy went into the [Foyle] Hospice initially for a week of respite but then he stayed in for four weeks…he didn’t want to leave!
“The care of the Hospice was excellent. They were really compassionate, they were great with my Dad, they looked after his every need and his dignity.
"He was made really comfortable and the food was great - which was very important for Daddy because he loved his food."
Martin said the whole family’s needs were also supported and taken care of while his father was cared for before his sad passing.
“They were very kind and compassionate to my Mum, who was visiting, and the rest of the family,” he added.
“A lot of the family members flew in from London and Australia and came here from Ireland as well to see Daddy when he was in the Hospice.
“I really can’t fault the care; all the doctors, nurses, carers – they were all absolutely amazing. We are so thankful that he was there. He was in the right place and he was content, happy, very comfortable and it was very dignified for him.”
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