Tribute to Professor Mac McMahon

Sara McMahon’s late husband Professor Stephen McMahon, was a globally known and respected neuroscientist. Affectionately known as “Mac,” he specialised in the study of the transmission of pain and held a strong moral objection to torture.

His work and his beliefs meant that Mac was a committed and passionate supporter of survivors of torture. “Mac first began to support Freedom from Torture, as a regular giver, in 2001, the year we married,” Sara told us. A true measure of Mac’s character was that instead of wedding gifts, he asked friends and family to donate to help support survivors of torture.

A couple of days before the recent passing of Mac, Sara decided to set up a JustGiving page in memory of her husband. “We knew there would be an influx of people wishing to acknowledge his death and his life’s work in pain management,” she said.

The tributes and donations came flooding in for this brilliant man. Mac’s JustGiving page provided a place to pay tribute to his life’s achievement and it has now raised more than £10,000 to support the work of Freedom from Torture. Sara said that “after his death raising so much money in his memory feels so constructive and positive.”

Everyone at Freedom from Torture is incredibly grateful to Sara and her children for thinking of survivors of torture during this sad time.

Making a donation in memory of a friend or family member who has died, can be a wonderful way to remember and celebrate their life. By supporting our work, your gifts can help honour the commitment to promoting human rights that they held dear, and ensure their care and compassion lives on.

Our Book of Remembrance

Freedom from Torture's Book of Remembrance celebrates and honours all those who have had a gift given in memory. If you have given a gift in memory or are considering doing so and would like to have your loved one’s name and some words about them added to our Book of Remembrance, we would be honoured to include them.

For more information about the book of remembrance or giving a gift in memory of a loved one, please contact us at [email protected] or 020 7697 7788.