Humans of Dublin: ‘The last thing she said was ‘Night Aoife, love you’

The following is an extract from Peter Varga's Humans of Dublin.

Drawn from the archives of the incredibly popular online blog, Peter Varga's Humans of Dublin gives a voice to the people of our capital city.

A collection of portraits, memories and snapshots, Humans of Dublin provides a thought-provoking insight into the Irish capital and its vibrant and diverse inhabitants.

Pictured above is Aoife who shares her story of bereavement and reconcilIation.

Two years ago my mam passed away suddenly, just a couple of days after her 45th birthday.

The last thing she said was, ‘Night, Aoife, love you,’ and by the time I got downstairs to say goodnight she was struggling to breathe. I remember just feeling numb and afraid.

I’ve always used my work as a coping mechanism, and I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet, as all my energy has gone into my work.

Being an illustrator has become a full-time job now. I finished college in June just gone and had a lot more free time on my hands to think about everything, which was tough because I always pushed my feelings to the side.

After having time to think, I made the decision to set out for my biological father one last time. I had been looking for 17 years with only his name to go on, so I decided to contact an agency to find him, and they did!

I travelled to the UK with family and I got to meet him for the first time in my life. As soon as I saw him, I knew it was him. We had the exact same eyes and smile, and were both lost for words, so just hugged for ages.

We got on great and spent the day together sharing stories and catching up. Leaving was really tough, though – he had explained to me he has a problem with drink.

Hopefully us getting in touch will give him the strength he needs to get help. It’s the beginning of a new chapter for the both of us.

Peter's Vagra's Humans of Dublin is available to buy now.