A CHARITY fundraiser will be held in honour of Chris Murphy this month – a fit and healthy Irishman who died within five months of being diagnosed with a brain tumour last year.
At just 53, Chris – one of eight siblings raised in an Irish family in Birmingham – had lived a "healthy and humble" lifestyle, when “bad luck” struck in April 2014.
“Chris had suffered several weeks of headaches when he collapsed last April,” his wife Dr Sue Cavill told The Irish Post this week.
“After admission to hospital he was diagnosed with a highly malignant brain tumour,” she added, “and despite surgery, chemo and radiotherapy, the tumour recurred and he passed away at the Severn Hospice in Shrewsbury on September 18, 2014.”
On May 15 Chris’s sister Jackie Minihane and her husband Pat are hosting a fundraising event at the Irish Centre in Birmingham, to raise money for the Brain Tumour Charity’s Chris Murphy Fund - which was set up following the death of the father-of-two.
Having attended St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Birmingham, Chris – whose father hailed from Dublin – went on to study economics at the LSE in London.
After achieving further qualifications in accountancy in the capital, he carved a successful career in the finance industry, holding positions at both the Bank of America and Windsor Insurance firms.
While he first met his future wife Sue at school, they were reunited in 1992, married two years later and went on to have two daughters, Elen and Ciara.
“In his working life Chris was known for his hard work and attention to detail, working long hours, sometimes through the night,” Sue explained.
“At Windsor Insurance Chris was promoted to Finance Director and was a key figure in the success of the company over the next few years, and when it was sold, profitably, to a larger company in 2013 Chris opted to take redundancy.
“This allowed him time to enjoy some well-earned leisure and family time, but it was sadly during this period that Chris started to become unwell,” she added.
After his death the family felt compelled to support the Brain Tumour Charity, as they were “frustrated” that brain tumour research is “underfunded” in this country.
“Chris was a young, fit and healthy man. He had never smoked and had never taken a day off sick. Nobody could tell Chris what caused his tumour other than “bad luck” and, after being given the diagnosis, he never had the luxury of being told he had a chance of survival,” Sue, an NHS psychiatrist who practises in Dudley, explained.
“He was a hard-working, kind man with a legendary sense of humour,” she added, “and I feel so angry that he had to suffer this and ultimately lost his life to it, so I'm doing my best to raise money for his fund within the Brain Tumour Charity.
“That way we can help fight this horrible illness, while doing it in Chris's name and keeping his memory alive, and try to change things so that in the future some brain tumours could be prevented and those unlucky enough to be diagnosed could be given the chance to live a good long life.”
The Chris Murphy Fund has already raised more than £14,000, with Dr Cavill adding to that pot this month after completing the London Marathon in her husband’s name.
On Friday, May 15 Irish bands and organisations across Birmingham will show their support for the Fund by offering their services to the Chris Murphy/Brain Tumour Charity Fundraiser, which takes place at the Irish Centre Birmingham from 7.30pm, for free.
Music from Pat Brennan and The Hurling Boys and a set from the The Sylvia Brennan Academy of Irish Dance will take place on the night.
Tickets, which cost £10/£5 concessions and include a buffet dinner, are available in advance or on the door. For further information call the Irish Centre Birmingham on 0121 622 2314.
To donate to the Chris Murphy Fund click here
