12-year-old Saoirse, who was the inspiration for the annual RTE Toy Show Appeal which has raised more than €26 million, died from a rare form of cancer on March 5, 2024
The heartbroken mother of 12-year-old Saoirse Ruane has shared an emotional tribute to her daughter on the first anniversary of her death. Saoirse, known to many as the brave, beautiful and truly wonderful little girl who battled a rare form of cancer for a number of years, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
Always smiling despite her illness, little Saoirse made her way into our hearts and homes when she appeared on the Late Late Toy Show in 2020. Courageous Saoirse talked about her battle with cancer and about how she had to have her right leg amputated. The beautiful Galway girl was just seven years old when she was diagnosed with an Osteosarcoma tumour, a rare form of cancer, in her tibia in 2019 and she spent years campaigning to raise awareness for the disease. Her courage inspired the establishment of the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal and over €6 million was donated in a matter of hours. Since then, more than €26 million has been raised by the annual appeal, which has provided 486 grants to registered children’s charities and organisations across the island of Ireland and helped an estimated 1.1 million children and family members in Ireland annually with the monies raised. Saoirse’s mum Roseanna has now marked her daughter's first anniversary as she shared a video of balloons which read ‘one year away from home’ on her Instagram page, along with a poignant message which read: "5th March 2024 - 5th March 2025. One year away from home. "Thank you our most loyal followers for your unwavering support and love over these past 12 months which continues to carry us through. "Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us. All it takes is a single moment to change everything. Focus on what’s important and be grateful! Live your life and leave no regrets." Saoirse's parents Roseanna and Ollie Ruane have spoken about life without their precious daughter and how they have been coping with her devastating loss. Appearing on the Late Late Show last November, Ollie revealed that people are coming from as far as Canada to visit her final resting place, which they call “Saoirse’s Garden” because they don’t like the words “grave” or “graveyard”. He and Roseanna visit twice a day, in the morning and the evening, along with Saoirse’s sister Farrah-Rose. He told Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty that it was comforting to see so many people visit “because the love continues”. Roseanna told an emotional Patrick that Saoirse never let her celebrity status in the wake of her Toy Show appearance to go to her head, and “never let it change her”. “She was very grounded and very humble, and that was a lovely way to be,” she said. Ollie said the support the family has received from people following their tragedy had been a source of great comfort. “I don’t think we realised how much support we had until broke in the news and was on RTÉ that morning. I suppose it helped us as well, knowing that so many people loved Saoirse. It was comforting for us,” he added. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
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