BABY JOY MAY FINALLY ERASE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER'S PAIN
Baby joy may finally erase mother and daughter's pain
Patrick Griffin
MOTHER and daughter Chris Kelly and Suzanne Travis were both horrifically injured in the Omagh bomb and are still struggling to come to terms with the events of August 15,1998.
They were shopping in the town at the time and were standing next to the car containing the bomb, when it exploded and changed their lives forever.
Suzanne (30) lost a leg in the blast while Chris lost her left eye and spent nine weeks in hospital recovering from terrible injuries to her left elbow and leg. Both have received regular counselling since the blast and continue to do so even now.
It was only in May this year that the pair felt strong enough to walk out together again along Market Street to the fruit and veg shop that they had left moments before the bomb exploded. The painful memories of that day came flooding back so strongly that Suzanne says she will never return.
Since Omagh, August has always been a month of intense sadness for them, but now it is also a month of joy after the birth of Suzanne's first child, Niamh, just two weeks ago.
The pair have given up hope that the killers will be brought to justice and are only now starting to focus on their own lives once more.
Sickened by the bickering and growing tensions surrounding the tenth anniversary of Omagh, they have decided not to attend either of the two ceremonies this weekend and are marking the anniversary privately as a family in England.
Speaking from her new home in Liverpool, Suzanne said: "I still follow events back home on the TV, but the rows and controversy surrounding how the anniversary should be marked have left me feeling very sad.
"For me this is a time to move forward and start concentrating on my family and my life ahead.
"I will never forget what happened and ten years is a big milestone, but I have my own family to look after now."
Despite everything she has endured, the primary School teacher said the birth of her daughter has enabled her to look to the future with hope.
"The Real IRA have taken away one of my limbs but they can't take away my family and the sense of hope and joy I now feel for the future," she said.
Frustrating
"The Omagh bombers caused misery, pain, death and untold hurt tat their day is over. Now my new family life with Niamh is beginning and that means that the bombers didn't win."
However Chris, a former care worker, finds it more difficult to come to terms with the events of a decade ago. She finds it "frustrating" no one has been made accountable for the bombing.
"We are all living on and suffering and the suffering will continue for the rest of our days, but we have to do our best to get on with our lives."
Patrick Griffin
MOTHER and daughter Chris Kelly and Suzanne Travis were both horrifically injured in the Omagh bomb and are still struggling to come to terms with the events of August 15,1998.
They were shopping in the town at the time and were standing next to the car containing the bomb, when it exploded and changed their lives forever.
Suzanne (30) lost a leg in the blast while Chris lost her left eye and spent nine weeks in hospital recovering from terrible injuries to her left elbow and leg. Both have received regular counselling since the blast and continue to do so even now.
It was only in May this year that the pair felt strong enough to walk out together again along Market Street to the fruit and veg shop that they had left moments before the bomb exploded. The painful memories of that day came flooding back so strongly that Suzanne says she will never return.
Since Omagh, August has always been a month of intense sadness for them, but now it is also a month of joy after the birth of Suzanne's first child, Niamh, just two weeks ago.
The pair have given up hope that the killers will be brought to justice and are only now starting to focus on their own lives once more.
Sickened by the bickering and growing tensions surrounding the tenth anniversary of Omagh, they have decided not to attend either of the two ceremonies this weekend and are marking the anniversary privately as a family in England.
Speaking from her new home in Liverpool, Suzanne said: "I still follow events back home on the TV, but the rows and controversy surrounding how the anniversary should be marked have left me feeling very sad.
"For me this is a time to move forward and start concentrating on my family and my life ahead.
"I will never forget what happened and ten years is a big milestone, but I have my own family to look after now."
Despite everything she has endured, the primary School teacher said the birth of her daughter has enabled her to look to the future with hope.
"The Real IRA have taken away one of my limbs but they can't take away my family and the sense of hope and joy I now feel for the future," she said.
Frustrating
"The Omagh bombers caused misery, pain, death and untold hurt tat their day is over. Now my new family life with Niamh is beginning and that means that the bombers didn't win."
However Chris, a former care worker, finds it more difficult to come to terms with the events of a decade ago. She finds it "frustrating" no one has been made accountable for the bombing.
"We are all living on and suffering and the suffering will continue for the rest of our days, but we have to do our best to get on with our lives."
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II10An/06
Published Date: 15-Aug-08
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