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GLOUCESTER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Mike Mullen of Gloucester knew he had married an extraordinary woman, but what he didn't know was that his late wife was Ugandan royalty. Now, in Juliet's memory, Mullen is raising funds for research into the endometrial cancer that took his wife's life.
According to Mullen, Juliet was a social worker in Boston that fled her home country of Uganda for better opportunities after her father was allegedly killed by the country's dictator at the time, Idi Amin.
"She walked 50 miles alone, a woman, [there was] a civil war, the rebels stopped her twice alone, no guards, no guns, to someday get an education. She was very humble, she never told me that her uncle was a king in Uganda or that she was a princess. One week after the funeral I found out from her best friend Rose who came for the services," Mullen said.
Following her exit from Uganda, Juliet received an education in Canada, and traveled to Boston to become a social worker, where she met Mike. Now, Mullen is trying to immortalize his wife by securing donations to Beth Israel Lahey Health's Ovarian Fund. To honor her, donors can put their contribution under Juliet Mullen's name here.
"It's important for me to make a difference and try to raise money in my wife's memory for cancer research," Mullen said.
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At the time of posting, Mullen has raised nearly $17,000. Mullen is also communicating with Juliet's family back in Uganda about sharing their stories and writing a book about Juliet and her extraordinary life.
WBZ's Kendall Buhl reports.
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