Daughter pays tribute to 'special' and 'inspirational' Werrington fundraiser Maggie Mooney

Maggie Mooney, from Werrington, was diagnosed with liver disease at the age of 46. Amid her 12-year battle, the mum-of-three began fundraising for the hospital that did everything they could for her, raising over £90,000 before sadly passing away on November 20 last year, aged 58.

Ahead of Mother’s Day, her daughter, 28-year-old, Sacha has shared her mother’s remarkable story with Diamonds Factory, from being nominated for a Pride of Britain award to her fundraising efforts enabling 80 patients so far to undergo life-saving transplants.

After undergoing a liver transplant on 8th May 2011, a day after Sacha’s 17th birthday, the family were told Maggie had just 24 hours left before she would become inoperable.

Sacha explained: “Once recovered from her transplant, Mum returned home in the hopes of living a relatively normal life again. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. Not only was she on over 25 tablets a day, Mum battled with numerous bouts of rejection and had many additional hospital stays as a result. It was a constant battle.

“About two years ago, we were told her new liver was also failing, and that she would need another transplant. Mum eventually got too poorly to stay at home, so in August 2022 she went into hospital to wait for her transplant.

“During her stay, Mum caught pneumonia twice, which led to sepsis and multiple organ failure and she ended up in ICU in a coma. She overcame this, only to get it all again just weeks later.

By this time, her liver had taken a hit, her kidneys had completely stopped working and her lungs were struggling. Unfortunately, her body was too weak to keep fighting, and the doctors decided there was nothing more they could do and she was then placed under palliative care until she passed away in November.”

Maggie, who was a hairdresser, was wife to Ian (58) and mother to Misha (32), Sacha (28), and Ross (25) and lit up every room with her vibrant personality:

“As a mother, she was the most gentle, kind, patient, supportive and empathetic role model. She wasn’t like your regular mum, she always had different coloured hair and always dressed so well.”

To thank the people and hospital who saved her life back in 2011, Maggie began fundraising for Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust (ACT), to ensure that other people who found themselves in her position could receive the care that she did and more:

“Less than 6 months after her lifesaving transplant, when she really should have been resting, all she wanted to do was find a way to say thank you to the people that saved her and help those that would find themselves in the same position she had been in.

“Mum raised just over £90,000 for ACT. Her main fundraising event was an annual charity ball, but she also held smaller fundraisers, such as coffee mornings and charity golf days.

“The money she raised went directly towards the transplant ward as opposed to the main ACT charity pot. Mum wanted to ensure her money was being used exactly where she intended it to be. She didn’t drink, so the reason why her liver began to fail was, and still is, unknown, so she wanted the money to go into further research into unexplained liver failure, so that other people could get the answers she never could.

“A large portion of the money went into funding liver perfusion machines, something the hospital didn’t have before Mum started raising money for them. With these machines, it means even more transplant operations could take place.”Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust is dedicated to supporting innovation in patient care and Professor Christopher Watson, at Addenbrooke's Hospital, explained in 2020 how the money Maggie raised had helped so far:“We have used it now in 100 perfusions and been able to transplant 80 livers - so 80 patients - the majority of those we wouldn't have been able to confidently go ahead without that machine."

Maggie’s selfless pursuit to help those who helped her led to her being shortlisted for the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards in 2020, for the ‘Regional Fundraiser’ category and was also named ‘Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year’ by the East Anglian Institute of Fundraising.

Alongside her best friend, Maggie worked tirelessly to organise the most amazing annual black tie events, with nine in total going ahead as she battled with her liver disease:

The ball would host about 150 people for a sit down three-course meal and another 50 people would attend after the meal.There would be a DJ, another act of some kind, a live auction, a silent auction and a raffle. Each year there would have a different theme and every year was bigger and better than the last.

The 10th ball was due to go ahead in 2020, but unfortunately, the Covid 19 pandemic put a stop to that and Maggie became too unwell to host another one:

Sacha added: “Mum had actually planned this ball, theme chosen and all, and had planned to throw the 10th ball once she had her second transplant but unfortunately, she didn’t make it that far. So myself, my sister and my mum’s best friend are doing it in her honour, to continue the incredible legacy Mum left behind.

“Since Mum passed, we have already raised just shy of £6,000 through donations at her funeral and through her tribute page.

“The tenth ball is definitely going ahead in November this year, but details are still under wraps for now, whilst we plan to make it the most amazing one yet.

“We’re also doing a mountain climb, golf day and easter egg hunt, too, along with other fundraising events in tribute to my wonderful Mum.”

As Sacha and her family prepare for their first Mother’s Day without their beloved mum, she has shared why Maggie was the most inspirational woman, not just to her family, but to everyone who knew her:

“Hand on heart, I truly believe myself, Misha and Ross had the best teacher in our Mum, whether she knew it or not.

“Through her battle, she taught us how to be strong, brave and resilient. Through her devotion to her friends and family, she taught us the importance of love and friendship. Through her sheer determination, love and hard work, she taught us the true meaning of motherhood.

“It’s hard to do Mum justice with words; to truly know how special and inspirational she was, and still is, you’d need to have met her.

From the moment Mum fell ill, she never moaned, not once. She never complained, she never said ‘why me’, she just got on with it and did what she needed to do to get through it.

“She always put everyone else before herself, making sure that we were all okay and coping with her being so poorly. She even used to apologise to us for ‘putting us through this’.“Throughout everything, she remained so positive, kept a smile on her face and never gave up her fight. She fought harder than I ever thought possible and went through far more than most would ever experience in their life. Her spirit never faded, and right until the very end, she just wanted to make sure we were okay.

“Mum always worked so hard, she was a grafter and she loved what she did. However, she always managed to make time for us and her hundreds of friends.

"Her friends were everything to her, and she made time for every single one of them. She was the most loyal friend - and it shows, over 200 people attended her funeral.

“There is so much that inspires me about my mum, but overall it is her bravery, kindness, selflessness and straight-up determination that inspires me the most. If I become just half the woman she was, I’ll be happy.”