A TRALEE woman who ran 12 marathons in eight months presented a cheque for €30,000 to the Mercy University Hospital in Cork recently.

Brenda Doody presented the funds, raised through her Mercy Marathon Challenge, to Sandra Daly, CEO, Mercy University Hospital Cork, at the inaugural Mercy Christmas Wishes Cancer Ball on Friday, November 27 in the Maryborough Hotel & Spa, Cork.

Continued below…

Earlier this year, Brenda undertook the epic challenge to raise the staggering amount for the hospital, where her husband Pat was treated for oesophageal cancer in 2014.

Funds raised through Brenda’s marathon challenge will go towards funding research programmes in oesophageal cancer and expanding the minimally invasive cancer programme in the Mercy.

Mr Tom Murphy, Consultant in General and Oesophagogastric Surgery, led Pat’s cancer care team at The Mercy as he underwent a minimally invasive oesophagectomy in September 2014, after developing oesophageal cancer.

Before undergoing the seven-hour surgery, 45-year-old Pat received both chemotherapy and radiotherapy following the diagnosis in May 2014. Since then, Pat has recovered from the surgery and is back to work. Brenda was in fact joined for her penultimate marathon in Dingle in September by Mr Murphy.

Speaking about her challenge, Brenda said; “As a health and fitness instructor, I was used to 10k runs and half-marathons, and thought this fundraiser deserved a bigger commitment, so I started with Tralee, which was followed by Connemara, Limerick, Cork, and Waterford. I tackled Killarney in July, and four marathons in as many days in Donegal in August. My challenge culminated with Dingle in September, where I was joined by Mr Murphy, and Dublin in October, where Pat joined me and ran the final marathon with me which was just fantastic. I really wanted to do this for the Mercy as Mr Murphy and his team were amazing, and I felt the least I could do was to raise as much money as possible for research at the hospital.”

Congratulating Brenda, Mr Murphy said; “Brenda’s fundraising venture recognised the tremendous hard work of the multidiscplinary cancer team in the Mercy University Hospital and I am very proud to be working with such a dedicated team. It was an honour that I was able to join her in running over the hills of the Dingle peninsula in September on her epic challenge, and I thank her most sincerely for her dedication.”