When Nicholas Tudor found out his beloved daughter Nicole had terminal cancer, he was devastated.
And when his local Mahon community heard the news earlier this year, they rallied round and did everything they could for father and daughter.
Nicole, aged 10, sadly ed away on November 6, but her final months were an example of how a great community spirit can be a strength at a time of great family tragedy.
A family friend close to Nicholas and his daughter, Nikki King O’Leary, feels blessed that she has come to see all this in recent months.
“The bond I witnessed between Nicholas and his 10-year-old daughter is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” says Nikki.
Nicole ed away in the Puffin Ward of CUH after being diagnosed with a cancer only affecting children that was terminal.
The community of Mahon saw the pain the family were going through, and rallied around the single dad and his daughter.
“Once the local community in Mahon heard that Nicole was ill in February this year, they came together to refit the family home into a more comfortable space for the pair,” says mother-of-two Nikki.
“Nicole was a popular child. Her dad adored her. They were like two peas in a pod.”
The pair were ed at the hip, and they had people on their doorstep who they could turn to.
When the going gets rough, caring communities gel together to help.
“Residents compiled a long list of items the family would need, and one-by-one community stepped in to buy them,” says Nikki.
“The group managed to raise €4,000 to the family.
“When it was discovered that Nikki’s cancer was terminal, the funds were put aside for funeral costs.”
Now Nicholas Tudor, who is of Italian/Rumanian heritage, knows what it’s like to have a wonderful community around him.
Nikki explains how she met him and Nicola.
“I came across them both eight years ago at a meeting in city hall,” says Nikki. “But we didn’t speak to each other then.”
Their paths crossed again.
“My friend is a neighbour of theirs,” explains Nikki. “She asked me if I had a few bits I could give a single dad who had a young daughter.”
Nikki is a giver.
“Of course, I had a few things that could be of use to the family,” she says. “I wanted to help them however I could.”
“Then, on February 9, my friend came and told me that his little girl, Nicole, had been diagnosed with cancer.”
Everyone who knew the family and who knew of them wanted to help however they could.
The devoted father took little Nicole to Crumlin Children’s Hospital after she took ill back in April, and it was there that doctors told Nicholas of the terminal diagnosis.
“When Nicole came back to Mahon after being treated in Crumlin, the community showed tremendous generosity in transforming the family home,” says Nikki.
“Even though she was in CUH and was after gruelling back and head surgery, Nicole picked the colours for her bedroom,” says Nikki.
The Tudor house became a real family home.
“All the drawings that her classmates sent Nicole were put up on the wall in her hospital ward and on the wall in her bedroom at home.
“She loved art and she never stopped colouring, loving when other people coloured with her.”
In June, Nicole’s classmates, friends and residents attended a gathering for the 10 year-old in Mahon.
The large group came bearing flowers, sang a rendition of Let it Shine and danced to Nicole’s favourite song to show their .
There was no stopping the caring community of Mahon.
They channelled Nicholas’ grief into something positive.
“We organised coffee mornings, raffles, auctions. We put out a big appeal for the family on radio,” says Nikki.
The message was heard loud and clear.
“The house was completely renovated,” says Nikki. “It contained a wet room, new flooring, the works. Cork companies donated lovely stuff and furnishings to the family.”
The wonderful from friends, neighbours and community gave Nicholas great solace and consolation.
“When Nicole was bedbound, Nicholas would take her out in her wheelchair,” says Nikki.
Nicole did not wallow in her illness, but rather delighted in her time with her dad and his friends.
“If Nicole wasn’t bald or if she didn’t have a tube up her nose, then you would never guess that she was so sick,” says Nikki. “Before she died, Nicole fought hard for nine days. It was a tough battle.”
The courageous little girl battled to the end.
“Nicole was in good spirits the day she fell asleep,” says Nikki.
The girl was a one-off.
“She was unique,” says Nikki. “There was something amazing about her. She touched the heart of everyone who met her. I have two kids myself. There was something very special about Nicole.
“At 10 years old, she was wise beyond her years.
“She could see good in all things and in all people. The staff in CUH loved her.”
Nicole created a special circle.
“A circle of friends were with her every day,” says Nikki. “When she came back from Crumlin, my friend Jade and I stayed with her. We stayed true to her until the end.”
Nicholas, broken from grief and sorrow, showed his true feelings.
“There were days he cried and cried,” says Nikki. “He always had hope, but then Nicole turned a corner for the worse.
“Nicole always had hope that she would get better and that she would always be with him to protect him. She was not ready to leave her dad. She was so strong.”
It was not to be.
“Nicole’s cancer was terminal,” says Nikki. “She didn’t call it cancer; she called it ‘a virus’.
Nicole ed away peacefully surrounded by her precious ‘circle’.
“When she went to sleep, we tip-toed out of the room,” says Nikki.
She is a different person after Nicole went to sleep forever.
“She taught me a lot about me,” says Nikki. “As a result of knowing her, I am a stronger person. I am so sorry that I didn’t meet her sooner.”
As a result of knowing and loving Nicole, Nikki is a more intuitive person too.
“Nicole taught me there is a lot more good out there than bad,” says Nikki.
“I think people don’t realise the impact she had on me. She changed my life for the better. I appreciate small things, and that is kindness and generosity of spirit.”
Nicholas needs his friends around him more than ever.
“I told Nicholas that he could count on me 100%,” says Nikki. “And that I would visit Nicole’s grave with him.”
Nicholas knows Nicole is still with him every day.
“They are never far apart,” says Nikki. “Nicholas knows that Nicole is in a better place.”
The three friends remain tight.
“Our relationship was like a fairy-tale,” says Nikki. “Our names are so alike. We called ourselves the Three Amigos.”
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