A woman who wrote a letter to The Irish Times about losing all three of her children to cystic fibrosis has said she wanted to tell people with illnesses that they can still shine bright.
Speaking on Sunday with Miriam, Kathleen Keyes said she had been surprised by the reaction to her letter, which went viral after it was published yesterday.
In the letter, she described how her children Gráinne, Darragh and Fergal had cystic fibrosis and had "fought viciously to stay alive".
Gráinne died in 2002 aged 15, Darragh died in April 2012 aged 19, and Fergal who died, aged 31, last December.
CF patients are affected by the formation of thick mucus build-up in the lungs, digestive tract and other parts of the body.
That in turn results in respiratory and digestive problems, and exposes patients to complications such as infections and diabetes.
Speaking to RTÉ, Ms Keyes said she decided to write the letter to express how she was feeling and to tell parents to spend time with their children.
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She said that she was not looking for pity and does not want people to feel sorry for her.
"I am just a woman, and a human being. I have lost the loves of my life".
"I think it was something within me that knocked on my own door. I felt something from within. I needed to speak. I needed to express how I was feeling.
"I am here in this house on my own and my family have been whipped. I need to speak to the nation and of course, the nation went a bit crazy when I did.
"My Christmas is my expression. I wanted my letter to tell parents to spend time with their children.
"I wanted my letter to tell parents to take this time to idle your children and to give them your time, give them creativity. Gráinne, Fergal and Darragh were given room to grow and be creative.
"There is so much of this running around, driving your kids to lessons and doing this and doing that, that you don't stop and spend time with them."
Ms Keyes described her children as her whole life and that all three had been dealt a heavy hand when they were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
However, she said they still managed to change people's lives and were bright, witty and full of life.
"My children fought viciously to stay alive," she said. "Darragh worked the hardest. He would empty his lungs out three or four times a day."
Fergal's girlfriend sent in a text to the programme, while Ms Keyes was on air, saying how he was the love of her life and that he brought such light into her life.
Ms Keyes said Darragh chose to turn off all the machines that were aiding him, saying he had had enough of all of the IVs and the tubes.
She said that he told his parents how he loved them and how much he appreciated how close they were.
He looked ahead and his eyes were dark and glassy, she said. He looked past them and said that he would be in the trees and that they would be able to find him there.
