Saoírse Ruane, a television personality from Ireland, passed away at the age of 12 following a four-year battle with cancer, as announced by her family.
Roseanna, the grieving mother, announced the heartbreaking news on Instagram: “In the face of such loss, words fail. Following a valiant and dignified fight, our hearts ache as we share that our precious Saoirse peacefully passed away in our embrace on Tuesday.”
We are grateful to our wonderful supporters for keeping Saoirse and us in your hearts during these recent weeks. Today, we are also thinking of all of you, as we are aware of how much Saoirse was cherished by the country and the impact she had on numerous lives. Cancer took her away from us, the life we once knew, and our aspirations. Things will never be quite the same again.
Saoírse, the star of The Late Late Toy Show, received a cancer diagnosis in 2019 following complaints of an injured ankle. The following year, she underwent a leg amputation due to a life-threatening Osteosarcoma tumor in her tibia.
The President of Ireland showed his respect to Saoírse and posted on Twitter: “President Higgins extended his sincere condolences to the family of Saoírse Ruane from Kiltullagh, Co. Galway, after her passing at the age of 12. Saoírse’s courage and compassion were truly inspiring to all.”
Saoírse has already experienced the fulfillment of a few of her dreams, like visiting Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play and going on her dream vacation to Disneyland.
In June of 2022, Saoírse was given a heartbreaking cancer diagnosis for the second time, leading to a necessary surgery to extract a tumor from her lung. The thought of her daughter facing cancer once more was beyond belief for her mother. By November 2023, Roseanna disclosed that the cancer had metastasized from one lung to the other.
Saoírse, recognized as the most courageous individual we know, had only one wish upon learning the distressing news last night – to set up the Christmas tree. Consequently, we are now in the process of adorning the decorations in preparation for the Toy Show,” she detailed. “We humbly ask for your continued prayers for our brave and resilient girl.”
Tributes came pouring in from every corner of the country.
Vice Prime Minister Micheal Martin mentioned, “Very saddened by the death of Saoírse Ruane. I will always remember meeting Saoirse and her mother Roseanna in Croke Park and seeing her beautiful smile and love for GAA.”
After Saoirse’s appearance on The Toy Show, Ryan Tubridy, the former host of Late Late, developed a friendship with her family, expressing his admiration for her performance. “world is a poorer place” without her.
“I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing of my dear young friend, Saoírse Ruane.
“Upon meeting, an instant friendship formed between us. As she shared her story, the nation was captivated by her, leading to the establishment of a charity in her honor. Through this charity, she was able to positively impact the lives of numerous children in Ireland, enriching and inspiring them along the way.
“A caring, modest, friendly, hopeful, and considerate kid. She showed us the best of what we can achieve as a nation, and her loss will make us reflect on many things..
“I want to send my love and sympathy to Roseanna, Ollie, and Farrah Rose. Their family has gone through a big change and I hope they know how much I care about them.
“I want to show my gratitude to them for letting us all experience their amazing Saoírse..
“The world feels emptier without Saoírse, but I really wish that sparkle in her eye keeps shining forever.”
Saoírse’s burial will be held at St Peter and Paul’s Church, Kiltullagh on Sunday at 1.45pm.
I hope she finds peace in heaven.
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