AN “inspirational” west Belfast mother who traveled to Mexico for alternative cancer treatment was waked this week in her wedding dress following her death.
Mother-of-two Sharon Rooney-Conley (39) passed away on Sunday, just hours after she helped celebrate her son’s fourth birthday.
Her death comes 21 months after she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in January 2020 and given a “poor prognosis”.
The former barmaid, who lived in the Divis area, underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and later made the decision to have a double mastectomy. At the end of the summer in 2020, she was given the all-clear.
However, following a routine scan in December 2020, Sharon was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer and was told she had between six months and two years to live and chemotherapy would be offered as a means of prolonging her life.
But Sharon found a medical center in Mexico, which offered a holistic cancer treatment program.
Her family set up a GoFundMe page and £50,000 was raised for the treatment and travel.
After returning home from completing her treatment at the Hope4Cancer Center in Cancun, she underwent an MRI scan at Belfast City Hospital, which revealed positive results.
Speaking to the Irish News at the time, Sharon’s sister, Lisa Rooney said the family were “delighted” with the results and were “hopeful for the future”.
Sharon was told she did not need any chemotherapy and would be reassessed in February.
However, in February this year, Sharon was told the cancer had returned and she was put on a different chemotherapy.
In April, she married her partner Stephen in Carlingford and the couple enjoyed a honeymoon in New York.
However, on returning home it was found the cancer had progressed. She was given a new treatment which had “horrendous” side effects and she spent time in hospital.
But in August, Sharon – mother of Grace (15) and Cadain (4) – was given the devastating news that she had just weeks to live.
Last Friday, she was taken into the NI Hospice, but passed away on Sunday hours after celebrating her son’s fourth birthday. This week, she was awakened in her wedding dress.
Lisa yesterday said the death of her sister had left the family “completely and utterly devastated”.
“The aftermath of everything will just hit us, that she is not here any more,” she said.
“How do we go on without her?
“She was so brave. She was an inspiration and we are really, really proud of her.”
Lisa said her sister would be remembered for her positivity, resilience and being “really brave”.
“She was a wee warrior,” she said.
Requiem Mass will be celebrated today at St Peter’s Cathedral at 2pm followed by a service at Roselawn Crematorium.