Shona wishes upon a star - in memory of her dad

RANDALSTOWN woman Shona Mulholland, is making a very special wish this Christmas as part of Friends of the Cancer Centre’s Wish Upon A Star appeal.

Shona, who is managing director at John Mulholland Motors, will be dedicating a star to her dad, John Mulholland, who sadly passed away in August 2019.

John, who established the well-known car dealership over 35 years ago, was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2018 and received treatment and care at the Cancer Centre in Belfast.

It was during this time that John, as well as the wider family, were supported by a specialist nurse who is funded by Friends of the Cancer Centre.

Sadly John passed away in 2019 but the family, business and customers have been proudly supporting Friends of the Cancer Centre in his memory.

This Christmas, Shona and her family are supporting the charity’s Wish Upon A Star appeal, where for a donation of £10 people can share a wish, message or name of a loved one on a beautiful star and see it shine bright on the charity’s Christmas trees at the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre in Belfast or the North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin in Derry/Londonderry.

For those who can’t make it to the hospitals, you can also dedicate a star on Friends of the Cancer Centre’s virtual Christmas tree. To keep your special wish close at this time of year, the charity can also send you your very own star for your tree at home.

Money raised from the Wish Upon A Star appeal will go on to support Friends of the Cancer Centre’s vital work, which makes an impact on cancer patients and their families across Northern Ireland.

Friends of the Cancer Centre was a charity close to John’s heart and Shona and her family are proudly dedicating their star to him and the nurses who helped the family through a really difficult time.

“I’m proudly supporting Friends of the Cancer Centre’s Wish Upon A Star appeal to celebrate the life of my dad,” said Shona.

“ Dad was always a star that shone in our lives and the lives of everyone who knew him. He was so well known as a businessman, a motorsport enthusiast and as a car sales man, but to us he was just dad. He was our world.

“Friends of the Cancer Centre is a charity that was really close to my dad’s heart and the heart of my family.

“When dad fell ill, it was the specialist nurses from Friends of the Cancer Centre who really stood by us and helped us along the way.

“When dad was diagnosed with kidney cancer, we were introduced to our specialist nurse, Melanie, on the very first visit with the oncologist. From that point on, Melanie was always by our side.

“To show our thanks for the care and support we have received, we have proudly been supporting Friends of the Cancer Centre and to date have raised £150,000 to support its vital work.

“We are delighted to support this year’s Wish Upon A Star appeal and would encourage everyone to join me in making their own special wish this Christmas.”

For 38 years, Friends of the Cancer Centre has been dedicated to making a real and meaningful difference to cancer patients and their families across Northern Ireland.

The charity is here to enhance the quality of patient care and support through its life-changing and life-saving work which includes funding additional nurses, supporting local research and providing practical support, such as financial grants, which help families through a difficult time. Friends of the Cancer Centre relies entirely on the generosity of the local community and all money donated stays in Northern Ireland, directly benefitting patients and their families.

Highlighting the importance of the public’s support, Ana Wilkinson, chief executive of Friends of the Cancer Centre, said:

“The Wish Upon a Star appeal is our way of giving people the opportunity to mark this time of year in a unique and special way.

“Every star is cherished as it represents someone very special. Not only that, but every donation is also very special as it will go on to support local families through the life-saving and life-changing work of Friends of the Cancer Centre. So please Wish Upon A Star this Christmas.”

Friends of the Cancer Centre’s Wish Upon A Star appeal will close at 12 noon on Thursday 21st December. To Wish Upon a Star, visit Friends of the Cancer Centre’s office on the ground floor of the Cancer Centre in Belfast, or visit the reception area of the North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin Hospital. To add a star to the charity’s virtual tree, please visit www.friendsofthecancercentre.com or call the charity on 028 9069 9393.