The devastated family of a beloved mum who passed away just weeks after being diagnosed with cancer say they are ‘dreading’ their first Christmas without her.
Fiona Gallacher, from Holytown in North Lanarkshire, has left a void in her family’s heart ‘which could never be filled’. As reported by Glasgow Live, the mum-of-four lost her battle with stage four adenocarcinoma – a cancer that grows in the glands of vital organs – at St Andrews Hospice on Friday, March 22.
She was only 33 years old when she died and her loved ones have been left utterly heartbroken. As families across the country wake up on Christmas day greeting one another with hugs and kisses, Fiona’s family now have a missing piece in the jigsaw and a feeling of ’emptiness’.
Her younger sister, Ashley Murphy said: “It’s been a hard year for us and words can’t describe how much we miss her. I’ve not even got my Christmas tree up and am dreading it. Christmas is going to feel empty, I am not looking forward to it. It’s not the same and it will never be the same without her.”
Fiona and her sisters would previously get together with their families at their mums house for Christmas dinner. Though she could sometimes be a “Grinch”, Fiona enjoyed seeing her children’s faces light up when they opened their gifts. The adults would later on take part in drinking games, with Fiona said to be the “life and soul” of the party.
Sharing heartfelt memories of her sister, Ashley added: “Usually, my mum would always get us together at her house just before Christmas for dinner with everyone. We’d spend Christmas day in our own houses, with our own families. My mum’s house was always a mad house at Christmas time. She’d be throwing parties at the New Year and we loved it.
“Fiona was a total Grinch and always stressed, you would try to avoid her but when it came to Christmas Day, seeing her kids smile, she would enjoy the Christmas spirit. Even though we weren’t together on Christmas Day, we’d always phone each other and wish each other a happy Christmas. We’d sit on FaceTime, watching the kids open their presents.
“It’s going to be strange not having that this year. She brought a lot of joy and happiness to Christmas. Some people take having a mum for granted while my nieces and nephews are wishing for their mum to come back – it’s not fair.”
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