CC Day 12 – Guest Post by Clare Henderson & Kirsty Mackay

‘The light of a star continues to shine long after the star itself is gone. In memory of Nikki Petrie who died aged 41 on the 17th March 2013.

“She won’t grow old and wrinkly like the rest of us – she’ll be forever 41 and beautiful”.  Nikki’s Aunt said this to us when we visited her recently as she handed us some old photos of Nikki. Nikki died just 5 months after her first CC symptom and never really got a chance to get a fighting grip of her cancer.  Despite her surgeon (forever affectionately known in our family as Mr T) battling to find a way around every challenge thrown at her, as quick as a plan was put in place to deal with one issue, another reared its head.

It will be 4 years next month since she died although in reality it feels like yesterday.  We have all had to find new ways of going forward without Nikki physically being with us and love when she crops up in photo’s, conversation and memories.

Nikki’s son gets married this year and her presence will be felt throughout the day. To those people like her Aunt, that stumble upon photos and share to them with us, and patiently allow us another opportunity to say her name and remember all that was good about her is priceless. So at times, although we might cry because it’s over, we also smile because she happened.  Wherever we are we take her with us, forever 41 and beautiful.

One of the songs from the playlist she compiled for her funeral

Somewhere over the Rainbow – Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwoʻole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Kirsty-Mackay2

Nikki Petrie enjoying the outdoors

 

Nikki just 8 weeks before diagnosis