‘We did it for our brave friend Anna’

Sixteen-year-old Loreto College student, Anna McAllister died peacefully at her Kilrea home on September 19.

In a bid to remember their pal, and to raise money for the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children, ten brave girls, who call themselves ‘the gooses’ took part in a skydive at the Wild Geece centre in Garvagh earlier this month.

NICFC was the charity that Anna chose to support during her illness, so the girls decided to carry on supporting the local charity.

Ciara McErlean, Kila McErlean, Carla McErlean, Medbh McIlvenny, Aine McNamee, Sinead Mc Atamney, Sarah Mckeown, Caite Skelly, Leona Quigg and Anne McNamee

Speaking to The Times last week, Medbh McIlvenny, one of the adrenaline junkies who took part said: “Anna was a lovely person.

“She was great fun to be around, bubbly and full of life.

“She decided to support the charity through her illness, so we really wanted to give something back.
“The day of the jump was nerve wracking for us all. Caite [Skelly] had actually completed a jump in the summer for the same charity, so when Carla saw the advertisement for the fund raiser on a website, we knew we had to give it a go.

“I was last to jump,” said Medbh, I think I was most nervous, we had a long delay between jumps because of poor weather, so I don’t think that helped our nerves any.”

Medbh went on: “Anna’s whole family circle came down to support us on the day.

“To be honest we felt that Anna was there with us to.”

Joking about their group of friends, Carla McErlean added, “We are all in lower sixth at Loreto, we have always called our little friendship group the ‘gooses’, we are very close.”

On their just giving page, Leona Quigg says: ”Anna never once complained, and without even trying her approach to life and her illness inspired us all to be better people and changed our lives forever.

“Anna made us all so very proud everyday, we will never ever forget her, and we will hold tight to our memories while making more knowing she’s with us always.”