Who was Saoírse Ruane? The Late Late Toy Show star dies at 12 after losing cancer battle

Saoírse Ruane, a beloved star of The Late Late Toy Show who won over the country with her cancer story, succumbed to her illness on March 5 after undergoing treatment for her cancer. Her family announced her tragic death via social media, saying that she "passed away peacefully at home."

Saoírse Ruane was just seven years old when she was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma in November 2019. The cancer was found in her tibia, which led to her having to undergo an amputation to remove the cancer.

In 2020, Ruane appeared in a special episode of The Late Late Toy Show, where she spoke with host Ryan Tubridy about her diagnosis and treatment.

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Saoírse Ruane's appearance at The Late Late Toy Show created the Toy Show Appeal

According to The Independent, Saoírse Ruane's appearance at The Late Late Toy Show created the Toy Show Appeal, which has raised millions for children's charities. In 2023's appeal, over €3 million was raised.

A native of Galway, Saoírse Ruane first appeared on the show in 2020, when she was eight years old, where she spoke candidly about her cancer diagnosis. When asked if she had any wishes, she replied that she had three - the first was to appear on the show.

The second was to learn how to walk using her prosthetic leg before Christmas, which she proudly demonstrated as she walked around the studio. Her third wish was to go on a family vacation, which was brought to life on the Christmas show when the studio surprised her and her family with a trip to Disneyland.

According to The Sun, Ruane was diagnosed in 2019 after complaining of a sore ankle. The amputation was successful, and she learned to walk again with her prosthetic leg. However, the cancer recurred a few months later, this time in one of her lungs, which was removed through surgery.

Just a few months later, new scans detected a second tumor on her lung, and Saoírse Ruane had to undergo major surgery once again. However, tragedy struck again in April 2023, when the young girl was diagnosed with a recurrent tumor in her chest for the third time.

The final blow came in November, when the family discovered that the cancer had spread to her other lungs as well. Talking about the back-to-back diagnosis at that time, her mother, Roseanna, said:

"This came as a huge shock to us as Saoírse has been doing so well. In just six more days it will be 4 years since her journey with cancer began. Four diagnosis in four years is very hard to take."

According to the Irish Independent, Saoírse Ruane received an award for bravery from the Galway Sick Kids Foundation, a charity supporting children and families attending University Hospital Galway’s (UHG) pediatric unit.

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Saoírse Ruane will be laid to rest on March 10

According to the Irish Independent, Saoírse Ruane's family revealed that she would repose at home on March 8 from 2 pm to 8 pm, following which a funeral mass will be held at St Peter and Paul's Church, Kiltullagh, at 1:45 pm on March 10. She will be laid to rest in Bullaun Cemetery after mass at 2 pm.

The family also said that a bus service would be running at the car park of Bullaun Church on the day of the funeral for those who wanted to visit to pay their respects. The family announced the tragic news of her death online, saying:

"It is with broken hearts the Ruane family announces the passing of their beautiful daughter and sister, Saoírse, who passed away peacefully at home, after a long illness bravely borne, in the arms of her heartbroken parents, Ollie and Roseanna, on Tuesday, 5th March 2024."

The family also requested that people donate their daughter's memory to the Galway hospice if they wished to do so. Saoírse Ruane is survived by her parents, Ollie and Roseanna, her sister Farrah Rose, and her half-sister Rebecca.