Brendan Gallagher pens tear-jerking farewell message after his mother Della loses battle against brain cancer

Montreal Canadiens alternate captain Brendan Gallagher is mourning the loss of his mother Della Gallagher, who passed away from brain cancer. Gallagher shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram on Wednesday, posting an emotional farewell message in memory of his mom.

The Habs forward posted a carousel of pictures with his mother featuring some of their most precious memories. In the caption, Gallagher wrote:

“❤️ The best mom we could have had! Grateful for all the amazing memories we have. I will cherish them and remember them always .”

“Not a day will go by I won’t want to pick up the phone and call you, or give you a big hug tell you I love you. But we will all charge on with everything you taught us making you proud every single day,” he wrote.

“Rest in peace mom, I love you. I miss you. Forever the best mom ❤️,” Gallagher concluded.

Della had been battling stage 4 glioblastoma which is an aggressive form of brain cancer. The diagnosis was made public last year when Gallagher’s sister Bree launched a fundraiser to support families facing similar medical challenges in March 2024.

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Brendan Gallagher credits wife Emma for helping him through the difficult period

Last year, Brendan Gallagher spoke about the emotional toll of his mother’s illness. He also admitted that it affected his play on the ice.

“I’ve struggled with it at times,” Gallagher said. “Especially the first year, there were some tough times.”

He also credited his wife Emma Fortin for helping him stay strong while being away from his family.

“I think having Emma at home is huge for me, being able to talk to her. Especially being away from the family — you call back as much as you can, but it’s been tough,” said the Habs forward. [H/T Hockey Feed]

Earlier this week, Brendan Gallagher’s wife Emma shared the first photos of their newborn daughter, Everly Mona Della Gallagher. Fortin explained that her middle names honor their mothers.

Brendan Gallagher first announced the birth of his daughter earlier this month during a media scrum after a game against the Buffalo Sabres.

“I'm a dad now,” he said. “Obviously, it's a little less sleep than I'm used to, but it's been awesome. Emma's been awesome. We're learning on the go, but so far we love every second of it.” [H/T Yahoo life]

Gallagher and Fortin have been together since 2021, got engaged in 2023, and were married last year in July. The couple also shares a dog named Skye whom they adopted in 2022.