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NICKY MCFADDEN DIED from motor neurone disease on 25 March 2014.
At the time she was a Fine Gael TD for Longford Westmeath, having previously served in the Seanad and Westmeath County Council.
Following her death, her sister Gabrielle won the by-election for her seat.
As the first anniversary of her death approaches, Gabrielle said the family are “very lonely for her constantly”, noting that “every day there’s something that reminds us she’s not with us”.
Speaking on Today with Sean O’Rourke, she recalled how the first indication something might be wrong was a throat and ear infection Nicky contracted in August 2011 – and couldn’t shake off.
After seeking a diagnosis for about eight months, the family was devastated to learn to she had motor neurone disease.
Gabrielle said the family “would have been very grateful if it had been cancer”, as Nicky would at least have had a chance of survival then.
She noted that her sister took the weekend to come to terms with the news, but got her hair blow-dried on Monday before holding a clinic in Athlone and then returning to Leinster House as normal.
Gabrielle said Nicky was “absolutely determined” to continue her work, adding: “I don’t think she ever thought she would die.”
The TD carried on her life as normal as she could, working and going on family holidays.
Her voice
Gabrielle said her sister’s voice was “the first thing to go”, with her losing the power of speech completely by Christmas 2012. Then her limbs started to fail.
Her voice was the biggest loss for us because then she was kind of trapped in her head.
Gabrielle joked that Nicky “could give you a dirty look that let you know you weren’t doing something right”, but also had a beautiful smile.
Like all families we kill each other, but actually we are an amazing family in how we pulled together. Nicky never spent a night in a hospital, which we are very pleased about.
Nicky’s father, former councillor Brendan McFadden, died four months before his daughter passed away.
Gabrielle said this was incredibly difficult time for the family but “looking at it now, it probably was better – it wouldn’t have been right for him to bury Nicky”.
Nicky made Gabrielle, then a member of Athlone town council, promise she would put her name forward to contest the by-election for her seat.
Gabrielle agreed but said she didn’t necessarily expect to win, adding that she doesn’t like the term ‘political dynasty’.
She did win, however, and now plans to run again in the next general election.
Gabrielle said she is “very proud” of Enda Kenny and what Fine Gael has achieved since coming to power.
At the party’s recent Ard Fheis she said she got “awful pang”, thinking “I shouldn’t be here, it should be Nicky.”
However, she said that if her father was alive he would tell her “keep your head up and keep going”.
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Met Nicki in St Camillons nursing home
In Killucan, Co.Westmeath 3 years ago
she was visiting an uncle, she came over to my dad had a word, gave him a hug, i thought it was lovely as she did not know us, proves her heart was in the right place, and now all three have passed on, rip guys x
Nicky was an inspiration for us all! RIP
My Dad’s Dad died from motor neurone and so did my Mums Mum a horrid disease to get Rest in peace Grandma and Grandad. Rest in peace to your beautiful sister so sorry she had this xx
If there is any good news here is that Nicky McFaddens illness was not drawn out for years.
Very sad but the comment about cancer is very insensitive. Cancer can be horrific as well as motor neurone. Wouldn’t wish for either
The only i came in here was gor that statement. Cancer is a horrible leech of a thing to go through .
Cancer is certainly a leech and not something any sane person would wish for; however there is hope if you have cancer as treatment and operations may stop or halt the disease, but there is NO cure or long term hope for people with MND.
I am sorry for your loss. But Fine Gael are finished. This country needs a government who will stand on its own two feet and not take orders from bankers and the like. New fresh blood is what’s needed a party that is not tainted by greed and the clic. Again I am sorry for your loss. You would do better as an independent
David what a hideous person you are! Imagine employing someone with your mentality! It does not matter who you vote for this story is about human suffering and tragedy!
There is never a scenario where people would be “grateful to have cancer”. Walk into a hospice and say ” ye should be grateful, at least ye don’t have MND”???? It’s an awful and horrible statement to make.
Eimsley, in the nicest way possible I’m sorry to say you are wrong. I attend the hospice weekly & I assure you the cancer patients look at me with pity, in my wheelchair barely able to move a muscle. I was 38 when diagnosed with mnd & I’m “lucky” to be alive still, 2 1/2 yrs later. When I was first diagnosed I wished I had been given a cancer diagnoses. I know that sounds unbelievable but, cancer treatments & medicines have advanced so much now there is “hope” for patients. MND on the other hand = no hope, they are not even near finding a cure!
Sharon, sorry to hear this. I have a close family member with untreatable cancer so I’m really offended by the quote in this article. I’m not dismissing the gravity of MND in any way. I just believe that these things should never be compared in terms of suffering e.g. Diminish one groups suffering over another’s. Having been witness to oneupmanship over illness symptoms/outcomes (not by patients but their families) I’m horrified to witness it in the press. I detest the culture of ‘mine’s worse than yours’ that seems to exist for some (not all) people’s lives. Each persons suffering is their own and not for comment by others. There is after all a lot of focus on upholding the dignity of terminally ill patients. All the best and take care.
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