By Dionne Meehan
THE cousin of a young Letterkenny woman who passed away earlier this month is preparing to run the Paris Marathon in her memory.
Cara Hannon passed away suddenly from a catastrophic cardiac event at just 23-years-old on Tuesday, March 4. Now, her cousin, Leitrim woman, Megan Hannon, is preparing to honour her wonderful life by undertaking a challenging 26 mile run next month.
In doing so, she will raise funds for a charity close to Cara’s heart, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA).
Speaking to the Donegal News this week, Megan said the news of her cousin’s sudden passing has yet to fully sink in.
“She was so young,” she said.
“It doesn’t make any sense.”
Recalling her “infectious personality”, Megan said Cara would light up any room she entered.
“No matter what she said, she would have everyone in stitches laughing,” Megan continued.
“She was quiet possibly the funniest person I have ever met.
“I haven’t met anyone to this day as funny as her.”
Megan and Cara are pictured having a picnic together in their younger years.
Only taking up running this time last year, Megan saw the Paris Marathon as the perfect opportunity to honour Cara’s life.
“After everything that happened, I thought it was a great opportunity to do something in Cara’s honour,” Megan said.
“I thought, while I’m running it, she’ll be looking down over me and if I hit a wall, she’ll be beside me, helping me through it.”
Now two weeks since Cara’s sudden passing, Megan said the devastating situation has changed her outlook on life.
“For me, this is such an awful, heart-breaking situation,” she said.
“I tried to live by the model ‘everything happens for a reason’, but there are just some things you can’t put rationale or reason behind. “This is one of them.
“You have no idea what is around the corner for anyone.”
Cara is pictured with her cousin Megan, who is preparing to run the Paris Marathon next month in Cara’s memory.
Now living everyday as if its her last, Megan’s loss has been a stark reminder that tomorrow is not promised.
“Don’t put anything off,” she said.
“For me, a marathon is something I always would have loved the idea of, but never thought I could have done it.
“But now I think, why put it off?
“Tomorrow is not promised.”
If you wish to make a donation you can do so via: https://gofund.me/10cc3f
Related posts:
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)