Derry family and friends to run marathon in memory of late teacher who passed aged 35 from brain tumour

Family and friends of a local schoolteacher who lost her life to a brain tumour last year have been keeping her memory alive and raising awareness of the disease by taking up running together.

‘Team Nicola’ was formed by Nicola Robinson’s husband Alan earlier this year and, having taken part in a string of events throughout Ireland, the group are looking forward to a race on their home patch on Sunday September 4 when they run the Waterside Half Marathon.

Nicola was a teacher at Fountain Primary School in the city and was just 35 years old when she died from a Diffuse Astrocytoma in October of last year.

Her friends and family’s running aim is to raise awareness and funds for a brain tumour research charity in Nicola’s memory in the hope that one day new treatments can be found and made available to others diagnosed with the disease.

Nicola's husband says Nicola was "one of a kind" and "the perfect mummy" to their two children.

"Nicola was a beautiful girl not only on the outside but her inner beauty and kindness was something rarely found," Alan said. "She would literally have done anything for anyone.

"Unfortunately on 6th November 2018 after suffering from headaches and some dizziness Nicola was diagnosed with a brain tumour; a diagnosis that will haunt us all forever. 

"Nicola being her usual self worried only about me and her two young children and her family. 

"After the doctors gave us the terrible news in Altnagelvin Hospital, her first words were, 'My poor babies.'"

Nicola underwent two seven hour awake Craniotomy surgeries at the Royal Victoria hospital Belfast in late November 2018. 

Alan said she met them both with great strength and bravery, "We were in awe at how she recovered from each operation," he continued. "After her second operation she sat up for curry only hours after leaving theatre. Something that puts a smile on my face even now. What a girl.

"In January 2019 we were given the biopsy results which diagnosed Nicola as having a Diffuse Astrocytoma WHO grade2.

"It was not the worst diagnosis and things seemed more positive. On meeting the oncology team were advised to treat the tumour as grade3 and have the relevant courses of radiotherapy and chemotherapy which again Nicola faced with great courage."

Nicola was then faced with six gruelling weeks of radiotherapy everyday, followed by chemotherapy. 

Nicola's final chemotherapy came on New Year’s Eve 2019. The family had lunch in Belfast then onto the city Hospital for the final treatment. 

2020 brought with it Covid-19 and although Nicola was no longer receiving treatment she was still in the very high risk group so as a family, they isolated as best they could to protect Nicola as much as possible. 

Alan said: "We had six glorious weeks where we stayed at home and had most of our essentials brought to us. A time I will treasure forever as we made so many great memories with the kids."

Unfortunately in the summer of 2020, Nicola had some seizure activity and after an MRI scan the family were informed that some new tumour growth had been discovered.

"Although only a very slight change we knew any change was not good and our oncology team advised a further round of chemotherapy.

"As ever, Nicola accepted the challenge willing to do anything to extend her time with our children as much as she could and still in the belief that we would beat this awful disease.

"In the Spring of 2021 things began to progress at a faster pace and Nicola lost the power and function in her right hand followed by her right foot. 

"This was a terrible shock to us all and for someone so independent and with so much get up and go it was very hard to accept. Nicola battled on and after several physio sessions things seemed to improve; she was never one for giving up.

"As we went through the summer unfortunately things began to deteriorate at a much faster pace eventually leading to her admission to Belfast city hospital on 5th October 2021. 

"Here the oncology consultant met with me and informed me that Nicola had only days to live a conversation that will haunt me forever.

"From this, we were moved back closer to home and to Foyle Hospice where Nicola received the most amazing care and attention in her final days. 

"We spent this last week by her side 24hrs a day making sure she knew she was never alone. 

"On the 13th October 2021 at 9:10am Nicola passed away surrounded by her family leaving a huge void in all our lives which can never be filled.

"Now, we aim to raise awareness and funds for The Brain Tumour Research charity in Nicola's memory and hopefully one day new treatments can be found and made available to patients facing this horrible disease."

Brain cancer kills more children and young adults under 40 than any other cancer yet only receives one percent of funding from the government's research budgets. 

Alan says this must change and the family has been running up and down the country to raise as much funds as possible for research to combat the disease.

“We’ve been up and down the country doing every half we could but this one is obviously extra special as it’s in our backyard and Nicola’s home town,” said Alan.

“Most of us had absolutely no background in running but when my sister in law said she would do the Omagh Half earlier this year I said I would have a go at it with her, then a few people said they would do it with us and it has just snowballed from there.

“Mentally it’s been a god send to me to have that release and a goal to aim towards, it was an alien world to me but I’d highly recommend the health and wellbeing benefits to anyone.

“We all wear the same t-shirts but we run our own race once it starts as there are runners of all ages and levels.”

Alan lives in Donemana with his son Alfie and daughter Amelia however he grew up in the Waterside and is aiming for a personal best there next week.

“I try and run a faster time with each event and I’m aiming for 1 hour 45 minutes this time,” he added.

“I’ve been trying to get it in the last two races, I tried in Hillsborough and it nearly killed me, the place is aptly named as it’s full of hills.

“I know the pacer for 1.45 Jason Scott and hopefully he can talk me around.

“I did my long run last week and that was the first time I ran around the route, the Foyle Bridge is definitely a challenge but it’s a brilliant route around the city centre.”

Team Nicola will be joined by around 2,000 runners at the start line for the 39th staging of the event.

Runners will wind their way from the Ebrington site start, along the banks of the Foyle, crossing both the Foyle Bridge and the Peace Bridge en route to the finish on the St Columbs Park track.

You can donate to Team Nicola’s fund raising efforts for Brain Tumour Research at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ALAN-ROBINSON31