Inspirational Donegal woman Geraldine Mullan has marked a poignant 50th birthday in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro today.
Geraldine completed an amazing charity climb of Africa’s highest peak earlier this week, and in the process raising in excess of £25,000 for Children in Crossfire in the process.
For Geraldine the challenge also has a personal note to it as she lost her beloved mother, Margaret, in the last few weeks and has dedicated her Kilimanjaro journey in part to her, as well as her late husband and children.
The Galway native tragically lost her husband, John and two children, Tomás and Amelia, in a tragic car accident in Inishowen in 2020.
She has dedicated herself in recent years to helping others in memory of her loved ones by charity fundraising and the Mullan Hope Centre – through which work she had the opportunity of getting to know Children in Crossfire founder, Richard Moore.
Geraldine today reflected on her birthday, made all the more poignant after her mother’s passing in recent weeks.
“Birthdays are occasions to look back on the year gone by, to plan for the year ahead, to reminisce as you get older what you have achieved and to think back to your birthdays past.”
“Today, March 1st 2025 will be a different birthday for me… no mummy card, no wife card… it will be a tough, emotional, poignant, heartbreaking day as I recall the birthdays I celebrated with my beloved John, Tomás and Amelia & it will be another day I have to get through without them here,” she posted.
“It will simply be a birthday, and not a happy birthday… but I will remember and cherish the beautiful memories of birthdays past when my beloved John, Tomás and Amelia spoiled me rotten, I will close my eyes and see their beautiful smiles, they will send me my birthday hugs from heaven this morning.”
Continuing, Geraldine said that “Since 20th August 2020, I have found it very difficult to celebrate my birthday… for me, ‘happy birthday’ doesn’t sound right as how can I be happy without the three most important people in my life… it is a day of mixed emotions, one full of tears and sadness for thinking of the ‘what ifs’ and ‘if only’… and it’s just not the same as they’re not here to celebrate it with me.”
“So today may not be the birthday I would have wished for, but as always my beloved John, Tomás, Amelia and my beautiful mum who passed away just 3 weeks ago will give me the strength and courage to keep going and as my little ray of sunshine Amelia so eloquently said, they will help my heart beat as they’re in the corners of my heart.”
Geraldine says those reflections helped her as she took on the challenge of Kilimanjaro earlier in the week, and as she remains in Africa for a few days to come.
“They definitely helped me last week as I took on Kilimanjaro and helped me put one foot in front of the other & reach the summit & mark my birthday in a different way. So much as I don’t want to celebrate it, I also remember my mantra to ‘cherish every moment and live life’… so what better way to kick start my 50s than with a bush trek in Zambia this morning.”
“Another few days enjoying this amazing African culture before home beckons again early next week.”
“(I) got a sign already this morning as I sat on the porch having tea & fudge (it is my birthday after all, so fudge cake allowed at 6:30am) and seeing the beautiful heuglin’s robins (the African version of our native robin) and hearing their birdsong brought a smile to my face.”
“Last words go to my beautiful family up in heaven… love you all to the sun, moon and stars, to infinity and beyond… help mummy/your Galway girl today like you done each & everyday.”
