It’s a devastating time for Annie Rose Comerford and her family as the mum of one fights a rare cancer.
Several Irish celebrities have thrown their support behind a fundraiser for Annie who was diagnosed with an inoperable leiomyosarcoma.
Annie has been battling cancer since 2025, with the past year involving ‘many rounds of chemotherapy of different types, a 10-day course of high-dose radiotherapy’ and a targeted therapy drug.
Sharing her story on GoFundMe, she said her diagnosis, which came after months of feeling bloated and tired, was ‘a shock like no other and extremely scary for me and my family.’
Annie went to the doctors after she started feeling pain in her left side when lying down, and around a week after this appointment she was told she had a ‘mass’ measuring 10x8x9cm behind her stomach in an area of the body called the retroperitoneum.
‘Unfortunately, I was told my tumour is inoperable here in Ireland, due to its location – it’s right up against my aorta and inferior vena cava (two major blood vessels that run down your back and are the main blood supplies to your whole body),’ Annie explained.
Annie is ‘hopeful’ that the tumour may shrink to allow surgery or that she might be able to ‘find a surgeon outside of Ireland who would consider surgery’.
While it’s been a difficult time, Annie said she’s had many moments of ‘pure happiness in amongst all the medical mess, and felt love like no other from my son, husband, family and friends.’
‘I don’t want to leave them, so I have decided to keep trying to find an alternative surgeon or treatment that might give me a stronger chance to fight this awful disease,’ she added.
Irish celebrities support fundraiser for mum fighting cancer
Since creating her GoFundMe, which has a goal of €50k, Annie has raised €28,703, with several well-known faces, such as Louise Cooney and Bonnie Ryan, sharing the link to the fundraiser.
Artist Melissa Tyndall has also thrown her support behind Annie’s fundraiser, donating an original artwork to help raise funds.
Sharing a video of the painting she’s giving away, Melissa said: ‘When I painted this piece, I wanted it to represent what a mother truly is, a vessel of love.
‘The rich, warm tones reflect warmth, devotion and sacrifice, while the blooms reach outward as a symbol of a heart that continues to give, even through life’s hardest moments. It speaks to the quiet, unseen strength that mothers carry every single day.
‘To me, this painting is everything that our beautiful friend Annie Rose represents.’
Melissa, whose daughter, Jude, is friends with Annie’s son, Elijah, added that Annie has ‘faced every challenge with incredible courage, strength and grace.’
‘Annie, I feel so honoured to be in a position to do this for you. I hope this small gesture reminds you of how loved you are and how many people are standing behind you every step of the way,’ Melissa added.
To enter the raffle for the painting, people have to donate €10 (or more) to Annie’s GoFundMe using the link in Melissa’s Instagram bio, with each €10 donation counting as one entry into the draw.
