GoFundMe appeal to cover TUS student’s funeral costs
A GoFundMe page has been set up following the recent death of a local TUS student to help support her family with the funeral costs.
Sara Leskiewicz was a Veterinary Nursing student in TUS Athlone and has been described by her friends as “an outgoing and confident girl who brought a lot of laughter to all who knew her.”
Sara worked part-time in Centra Athleague and was a former student of Roscommon Community College.
Keanes Centra Athleague issued the following statement on their Facebook page. “We are devastated. Sara Leskiewiez has worked here part-time for three years. She was a lovely bubbly girl, always chatty and good humoured, a popular work colleague and a customer's favourite. She loved animals and was studying to become a veterinary nurse. Sara died unexpectedly on Wednesday last. We offer our deepest sympathies to her mother Alex who is an important member of staff here, her father Tomasz, her sister Olivia, and her little brother Nathan and extended family.”
A TUS spokesperson said: “The news of Sara’s sudden and untimely death has come as a great shock to us all at TUS and our thoughts and prayers are with her loving family and friends. Sara will be greatly missed by her classmates and fellow students. We would like to acknowledge Sara’s valuable participation and contributions whilst enrolled on her programme of study. We are justly proud of Sara’s academic work and her achievements here at the Technological University of the Shannon.
"On behalf of her academic lecturers, her Faculty, the TUS executive management, and Governing Body, we wish to express our heartfelt sadness at the enormous loss of Sara to our academic community but most importantly to her family, relatives, classmates and friends.”
A statement on the GoFundMe Page says: “We have set up this page to support her family at this truly devastating time. We need your support to help them with the funeral costs and ask if you can spare anything no matter how small to try to relieve their stress and allow them to grieve their beautiful daughter.”
“She was extremely popular with all her friends and colleagues, in fact if you were ever lucky enough to come in contact with her you would not have forgotten Sara.”
The fundraiser was set up by Sara's friends Sephine Smythe and Niamh Hennigan on behalf of Sara's family. It has raised over €14,000 so far, majorly surpassing its goal figure of €5,000.
The link to donate to the GoFundMe can be found here
Sara's funeral mass takes place today (Wednesday) in the Church of the Assumption, Castlecoote followed by cremation in Lakelands Crematorium, Cavan.