THE family of a dying Edinburgh woman whose last wish was to visit the Vatican City have raised enough money through a crowdfunding campaign to make her dream come true.
Corinne Barber, 42, from Leith, has a heart disorder which means she may only have five to 12 months left to live but was determined that it wasn’t going to stop her from making one last spiritual pilgrimage.
Not only has her family raised enough money to take her to Italy, they’ve also secured an audience with Pope Francis this weekend.
Corinne will be making the pilgrimage with her mother Irene Barber, travelling by train from Edinburgh to Paris and then from Paris to Rome.
Her twin sister Sandra and her husband Andrew will then fly out to join them in Rome.
Corinne said: “I can’t believe that this is really happening.
“I’m both incredibly excited and quite nervous.
“The effort involved in getting there is significant but I am looking forward to the experience once we’re there – visiting the many historical sites, tying it all in to both my academic work and my faith, to see it all in the flesh, so to speak.
“With the opportunity of being able to meet the Pope it promises to truly be a spiritual journey of a lifetime. I am truly humbled by this whole experience and very, very grateful to everyone who helped to make this a reality.”
Her brother Darren Barber, 43, from North Berwick, East Lothian, set up the GoFundMe fundraising page entitled Help with Corinne’s Final Wish in September and was delighted when the public rallied behind the campaign and even the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh offered his support.
Archbishop Leo Cushley said: “We are thrilled that Corinne is finally able to make her pilgrimage to Rome and we will now make sure that she is at next week’s audience with Pope Francis. We also hope to arrange a private tour of the Vatican for Corrine – including the Sistine Chapel. It’s the very least we can do to help.”
Darren said he was “absolutely ecstatic” and “overwhelmed” by the generosity of donors who sent heartfelt messages as well as cash.
He added: “Corinne has been elated by the way people have connected with her. We have received hundreds of donations and messages of support and have been thrilled to have received such encouragement from the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh who have very generously covered the insurance costs of the trip.”
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