Family raises €25,000 for Cork's Mercy Hospital in memory of teenager Zara
Professor David Kerins, consultant cardiologist and clinical director at Mercy University Hospital with Professor Carl Vaughan, consultant cardiologist at Mercy University Hospital and Zara's mother Alison Harding and Zara's aunts Zelda Harding and Arleen O’Doherty. Picture: Clare Keogh.
An Irish family has raised €25,000 for The Mercy Foundation to support heart research and genetic testing in Cork following the death of their daughter, Zara Harding Horan.
Ms Harding-Horan's family, from Roscrea in Co Tipperary, together with their local community, raised the funds through five fundraising events last year to honour the fifth anniversary of the 19-year-old's passing.
Events included a charity walk at Cloughjordan National School, a guided tour of Monastic Lorrha, led by historian James Heenan, a coffee morning at the Derg Inn, a bucket collection in Nenagh, and a larger sponsored walk from University Limerick to Thomond Park.
Ms Harding-Horan died in 2020 as a result of Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS), which is a rare genetic condition affecting connective tissue causing aortic aneurysms.
She was a first-year bachelor of arts student in performing arts at the University of Limerick, and is described by her family as having a gift for music and a passion for rugby.
To honour the special place that rugby held in her life, €5,000 was donated to support the Zara Horan Trophy, a regional U18.5 competition aimed at fostering the growth of women’s rugby development pathways.
Alison Harding, Zara’s mother, said she was “a funny, outgoing, and happy young woman who was taken way too young”.
“She fitted so much into her short time here, living life to the full, giving to others, raising money for charity, and always putting others first,” said Ms Harding.
Rachel Stevenson, CEO of the Mercy Foundation said “every donation and act of fundraising plays a vital role in supporting patients and their families at Mercy University Hospital”.
“The generosity shown in Zara’s memory helps fund crucial research, essential testing, and improved care, making a meaningful difference in people’s lives when they need it most,” said Ms Stevenson.
App?
