Climb for Elaine aims to raise €100k for hospital garden
The family of a 46-year-old Tullamore woman who passed away just six weeks after a cancer diagnosis have come together to honour her memory by raising funds to support the refurbishment of the Special Care Room Garden at the Midlands Regional Hospital.
Elaine Healion from Spollanstown passed away on August 11 last year leaving behind her devastated husband, Derek, and three young daughters, Leah, Katie and Emily. As they accompanied her to the end of her life, the extended members of the Healion and Halloran families and Elaine's many friends found the garden at the Midland Regional Hospital to be a lifeline and they have now decided to turn their grieving into action as they embark on a major fundraising drive to refurbish the space which provided some solace to them at the most difficult time of their lives.
Climb for Elaine is a fundraising initiative to support the refurbishment of the Special Care Room Garden at Midlands Regional Hospital, Tullamore and to honour the life and legacy of the late Elaine Healion. The fundraiser is hoping to raise €100k and has established an iDonate page https://www.idonate.ie/crowdfunder/climbforelaine where donations can be made.
The main event is a climb of Croagh Patrick on Saturday, March 28 next, and the Healion and Halloran families – including Elaine's parents, John and Imelda, and her brother and sister, Melissa and Jason - are inviting friends, colleagues and members of the wider community to join them for the Climb for Elaine event.
Climbers will assemble at Market Square, Tullamore at 5.30am on March 28, for bus transfer to Croagh Patrick in Mayo which is kindly being sponsored by Buggy Coaches. Live music and an auction will follow on the return from Croagh Patrick at The Old Harbour Bar in Tullamore from 9pm.
The garden space outside the Special Care Room in Tullamore hospital became “a place of refuge" for Elaine Healion's extended family and friends during her final days, according to a post on the iDonate Climb for Elaine page, which has raised over €15.5k of its fundraising target already.
“While Elaine was being cared for inside, her family and friends could step outside - to breathe, to gather their strength, to share quiet conversations, or simply to sit together in silence.” said the family. “For Elaine's children and extended family, being able to leave the room, even briefly, without truly leaving her behind was a gift beyond words. Friends could be nearby to support Derek and the family, and even when they were not physically in the room, Derek knew they were just outside. That knowledge brought him enormous comfort at a time when comfort was scarce.”
Poignantly, the young Tullamore woman passed away in the hospital where she worked for many years as a secretary, right up to June 2025 when she embarked on what would be her last family holiday with her husband and young daughters.
Elaine Healion's family are hoping to see the garden at Tullamore hospital transformed into a “warm, welcoming and protected space” as a result of their fundraising efforts and are acutely aware of the fact that not all families can avail of this quiet and peaceful space if they are facing the unimaginable loss of a loved one during the cold winter months.
They are hoping that the addition of a canopy will allow the garden to be used all year round. “Without shelter or proper facilities, the garden cannot be relied upon year-round – and many families do not get the good fortune of fine weather when they need it most,” said the family. Through Climb for Elaine, they are hoping to ensure that other families will have access to the same comfort they were afforded - “a place to step outside, to steady themselves, and to feel supported during life s most fragile moments.”
Anyone who would like to take part in Climb for Elaine, or support the initiative in any way, can get in touch via email at climbforelaine@gmail.com or WhatsApp: 089 402 1868.
For updates, event details and ways to get involved, please follow Climb for Elaine on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok
Dance for Elaine
Meanwhile, Durrow Ceili Club will hold a fundraiser in support of the Climb for Elaine initiative by hosting a Dance for Elaine night in Durrow Hall on Tuesday, March 10 next.
The night of ceili and social dancing, which gets underway at 8pm, will be followed by a cup of tea and a raffle with all funds raised going towards the refurbishment of the Special Care Room Garden at the Midlands Regional Hospital.