Miriam’s story is heartbreaking but it is a story that needs to be heard ahead of next month’s referendum. The relationship that Miriam had with her late partner deserves rights and respect equal to that of straight partnerships. It is shameful that while she was dealing with the profound lose of a life partner she was also dealing with the ignorance of others who did not recognise or respect their relationtionship.
Miriam, a canvasser for YesEquality in Galway, talks about how she fell in love with her partner:
“It was an across the room thing.”
They were only together for six short years before her partner died of bowel cancer after a horrific battle with the disease.
“I was her primary carer. Why? Because I loved her.”
Miriam cared for her parter 24/7 for 18 months before she died.
After her partner’s death she was asked by the family of the deceased not to attend the funeral as it “would bring shame on the family.”
At one stage she was also denied access to see her partner by a nurse because she “wasn’t family.”
