Dying daughter’s wish drives Carmel Moriarty to dedicate her life to helping people with cystic fibrosis

A MESSAGE from her daughter as she lay dying from cystic fibrosis was the driving force behind Carmel Moriarty’s volunteering efforts.

Carmel Moriarty has been awarded the Pride of Australia care and compassion medal for her

A MESSAGE from her daughter as she lay dying from cystic fibrosis was the driving force behind Carmel Moriarty’s volunteering ­efforts.

“She said, ‘Mum, don’t sit in a corner and cry. Go out and fight the good fight. Help others with CF’,” Mrs Moriarty (pictured) said.

“I thought if a 19-year-old person can do that who am I? She was the one to do the suffering. I was just the one privileged to care for them during their short life.”

Mrs Moriarty lost her two daughters to cystic fibrosis within six months in the mid-1990s.

She took her older daughter’s advice to heart and spent the next 30 years helping others with the debilitating condition, establishing a mothers’ support group and chairing the Cystic Fibrosis New South Wales group for seven years.

This week the registered nurse was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her service to nursing, particularly in cystic fibrosis.

“It’s very humbling,” Mrs Moriarty said.