Maia Dunphy has found a treasured reminder of her late mother while slowly working through her belongings- a beautiful Hermès scarf hidden at the bottom of a drawer.
Sharing the discovery on social media, Maia revealed she has been clearing her mum’s things ‘one shelf, one drawer, one rail, at a time’, often leaving months between attempts.
‘I really feel for anyone who has to clear out a loved one’s things very soon after losing them,’ she wrote. ‘Maybe the rawness of it all makes you numb, but I put it off for as long as possible.’
On her latest visit, she came across the silk scarf in her mum’s pyjama and sock drawer. ‘She only wore it a couple of times, she was saving it for special occasions… I think I’ll wear it for any occasion,’ Maia added.
Joking that she also kept some novelty Christmas socks but will ‘save them for December- no one likes an all-year-round whacky sock wearer’.
Maia’s mum, Helen, died in 2022 from pancreatic cancer, a disease often diagnosed too late because its symptoms can be vague and common. The broadcaster has been working with Pancreatic Cancer Ireland to encourage people to join the dots when new or multiple symptoms arise.
‘The symptoms can be terribly non-specific, so people shouldn’t be alarmed if they suddenly develop back pain or reflux, which my mum experienced, as chances are they are simply back pain or reflux,’ she explained in a 2024 interview with RSVP.
‘But if any symptoms or body changes that are new to you persist, or if you have a combination of symptoms, please, please consider getting checked out.’ Helen’s illness progressed quickly. Despite undergoing the invasive Whipple procedure, she passed away just six months after her diagnosis.
‘I often wonder if she would still be with us today had she been diagnosed earlier,’ Maia admitted. For now, small keepsakes like the scarf bring her mum’s presence into everyday life- and wearing it for ‘any occasion’ ensures it won’t sit hidden away again.
