Longford continues to mourn loss of its 'beautiful' and 'courageous' Laura Gilmore Anderson

The much loved and admired daughter of Brendan and Ann Gilmore slipped away peacefully surrounded by her family shortly after 11am.

In a poignant twist, Laura's tragic passing came just two days after her 36th birthday and ahead of a potentially life-saving trip to Mexico where she had been hoping to undergo treatment.

Laura, who lived in Scotland with her husband, Paul, was diagnosed with a rare and incurable neuroendocrine tumour (NET) in her pancreas in July 2020.

Her plight was made all the more heartbreaking amid fears her condition went undiagnosed for three years despite countless visits to her GP and having spent months off work owing to crippling pain.

At the beginning of last month, the former Sligo IT graduate was told she had just weeks to live.

Laura received the heartbreaking news just days after enjoying a once in a lifetime trip to Disneyland Paris.

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Anyone who ever graced the halls of Pearse Park on days of county games will be familiar with Philomena (Phil) Donoghue. Mrs D, as she was affectionately known, coordinated the hospitality of the county's GAA HQ.

Speaking at the time, she revealed how doctors effectively informed her to go home and spend her final days with her family after all preventative treatments used to stop the spread of neuroendocrine tumours which have ravaged her body over the last three years had failed.

Fighting back tears, Laura, said: “If only love and kindness could cure me, I would be cured right now. I am too young to die, I am only 35 and I don’t want to give up.”

In July 2021, Laura, thanks to sustained fundraising on both sides of the Irish Sea, flew out to Mexico’s Hope for Cancer clinic, a facility recognised as a world leader in holistic oncology.

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When doctors delivered the devastating news at the beginning of March that her condition had deteriorated, a GoFundMe page aptly dubbed ‘Help Laura Heal her NET cancer’ raised in excess of £400,000 as part of a concerted bid to allow the Longford woman return to Mexico.

At the beginning of last month Laura, together with Paul travelled to Germany for treatment to her liver and had been recuperating at home ever since.

However, in a heart-rending tribute posted online by her husband Paul on Saturday, he told of how his “soul mate, best friend and pillar of strength” had passed away.

“I’m heartbroken to say that Laura passed peacefully in her home at 11:11 this morning, surrounded by her family,” he wrote.

“We are all so proud of her strength and determination in her battle these last few years.

“Laura has shown us all what an amazing, strong, wonderful, beautiful and courageous woman she was, especially in the past week, not giving up the fight until her final breath.”

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Longford GAA, of whom Laura’s father, Brendan, was a former chairman, likewise took to Twitter as news of Laura’s passing filtered through.

“Longford GAA are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Gilmore Anderson today.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to her husband Paul, her parents Brendan and Anne, and the extended Gilmore and Anderson families at this sad time.”