Louise James with daughter Rhionagh at the charity walk in Derry. (Pic by Donal Dunn North West Newspix)
A DERRY mother who lost five members of her family in the Buncrana pier tragedy has marked the first anniversary of their deaths with a memorial walk.
Hundreds of people accompanied Louise James along the River Foyle promenade in Derry and across the Peace Bridge into Ebrington Square to raise funds to help in the research of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Louise’s son Evan, 8, who drowned with his brother Mark, 12 and with their mother’s partner Sean McGrorry, 49, her mother Ruth Daniels, 59 and with Louise’s sister Jodie Lee Daniels, 14, was diagnosed with Duchenne at the age of three.
The only person to survive the tragedy, last March, was Louise and Sean’s then four months old daughter Rioghnach-Ann was also at last evening’s charity walk. She was rescued by Donegal man Davitt Walsh who pulled her from the family’s Audi Q7 vehicle just seconds before it sank into Lough Swilly.
Davitt was standing on the pier with his girlfriend when the family vehicle skidded on algae on a slipway and plunged into Lough Swilly. The car was swept out fifty metres from the pier when Davitt swam out. He was handed baby Rioghnach-Ann by her father Sean who told him “please save my baby daughter”.
Louise said she hoped the proceeds from the charity memorial walk would raise money for the Even McGrotty Research Fund which she set up to help search for a cure for muscular dystrophy.
She added: “My youngest son Evan was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was just aged three. He lived with the condition for the rest of his short life but never let it define him and never let it defeat him.
Louise James with daughter Rhionagh at the charity walk in Derry. (Pic by Donal Dunn North West Newspix)
“The Buncrana tragedy was a devastating event in our lives but I hope to do something positive on its first anniversary and generate some support for the campaign to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
“Our family and friends have been raising funds for clinical research into the disease ever since Evan’s diagnosis. It’s too late to help Evan now but we can still help other boys who have the same life limiting condition. I wish to thank all those who have joined us at this evening’s memorial walk for helping us to support the search for a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.”
During the charity walk the participants stopped briefly at five points along the route in a symbolic tribute to the five people who lost their lives.
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan taking part in the memorial walk
