MIRACLE GIRL IS SET TO MARK 10TH BIRTHDAY
Miracle girl is set to mark 1Oth birthday
BY ANNE PALMER
a.palmer@newsletter. co.uk
A MIRACLE child born five days after her pregnant mother was injured in the Omagh bomb will celebrate her 10th birthday next week.
Chloe Mulholland already has her birthday bike and her party with friends and parents Michael, 27, and Nicola Mulholland, 31, is booked at Aladdin's Kingdom in Omagh.
Mum Nicola said she will mark the 10th anniversary of the Omagh bomb in the town on Friday along with Chloe and her baby brother Ben, aged two.
"Chloe wanted the bike for the start of the summer holidays, as her birthday falls towards the end of the school holidays.
"She knows her own mind and she knows what she wants," said Nicola.
This little girl has always known she has a special place in the world.
"We have always been open with her, and she has seen the scrap book, and presents and cards she got from people."
Chloe says she might become a teacher when she grows up.
"Chloe says she doesn't want to go to university, she wants to stay here with me," says Nicola.
She sings away all the time at home, and makes up her own tunes and songs, and loves singing pop songs and opera.
"She is very outgoing both at home and at school, but does not go to many group activities, she just wants to stay home with mummy and daddy," she said.
"She is mature for her age, yet she is still innocent for a 10-year-old," she said.
Chloe also had a special role as flowergirl at her parents' wedding celebrations in 2003.
Having the baby safely delivered after the bomb, and knowing that all her family and Michael were safe, helped Nicola to cope and to live a happy life.
She never forgets those who were bereaved or seriously injured. Many other friends who were injured are still in regular contact.
"We support each other and we talk about the bomb," she said.
Nicola sustained a shrapnel injury to her leg in the bomb and glass was embedded in her limb because of the bombing.
Heavily pregnant, Nicola had been due to go into hospital on the following Monday to be treated for high blood pressure. But fate intervened.
Having spoken to her mum Valerie, outside the Nichols and Shiels shop, Nicola had been trying to cross the road at the traffic lights outside the Cosy Corner bar to meet Michael, who was outside Slevin's chemist, when the bomb exploded.
"I never got across the road and Michael was lying with a coat over him," she said.
"It all went silent. There was an eerie silence, smoke and the noise of the alarms," she said.
After the bomb Nicola was rushed to Dungannon and South Tyrone Hospital, where baby Chloe Hope was born five days later.
She was named Hope as a symbol for the future, her mum said.
Nicola remembers being relieved that her baby and family were safe.
"It was overwhelming, the fact that she was safe, and born and that they were all okay, that my mum, aunt and cousin and Michael were grand," she said.
Nicola said she did not have any fear or flashbacks when her second child Ben was born.
"I'm a laid-back person. I just went with the flow and had my check-ups and everything was fine.
"With Ben it went smoothly. The consultant I had at Dungannon had moved to Craigavon hospital.
"I went to the same consultant, Mr Hunter, who I had Chloe with.
"It seemed fitting, I felt safer going to the same consultant," she said.
"Chloe is glad she has a brother. She just loves him to bits, and helps him out and plays with him," she said.
"Ten years on, I feel that it went very quickly.
"Every year, I have a birthday to plan for. I could have been visiting a grave.
"I think that has helped me. Things would have been different if Chloe had died. I feel good we all came out of it safe. It is very sad for the people who died," she said.
"It never really affected me, I had my family and we were so close.
"My mum, auntie and cousin and Michael were there and we could talk about it," she said.
Her cousin, Andrew Graham, who was aged nine at the time, suffered shrapnel injuries to his legs.
Scared by the blast, he ran away down to the Campsie end of Omagh, while his family searched for him, fearing he was missing or dead.
"It must be awful for those families who lost someone," she said.
"I've never gone to counselling, or groups, I just got on with life.
"I think it's because I had a wee baby and was happy," said Nicola.
"Never in my life did I think there would be a bomb in Omagh.
"Everyone was cheerful, we just thought it was a bomb scare," she said.
Nicola believes whoever is responsible should be brought to justice.
"Too many people died that day and too many were injured for them to get away with it," she said.
UTV is live in Omagh 10 years after the bomb for the opening ceremony of the memorial garden this Friday at 3pm.
This will be followed by a LIVE UTV news special from 5.30pm in Omagh.
There will also be an Insight Special report to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Omagh bomb, on Monday at 8pm.
BY ANNE PALMER
a.palmer@newsletter. co.uk
A MIRACLE child born five days after her pregnant mother was injured in the Omagh bomb will celebrate her 10th birthday next week.
Chloe Mulholland already has her birthday bike and her party with friends and parents Michael, 27, and Nicola Mulholland, 31, is booked at Aladdin's Kingdom in Omagh.
Mum Nicola said she will mark the 10th anniversary of the Omagh bomb in the town on Friday along with Chloe and her baby brother Ben, aged two.
"Chloe wanted the bike for the start of the summer holidays, as her birthday falls towards the end of the school holidays.
"She knows her own mind and she knows what she wants," said Nicola.
This little girl has always known she has a special place in the world.
"We have always been open with her, and she has seen the scrap book, and presents and cards she got from people."
Chloe says she might become a teacher when she grows up.
"Chloe says she doesn't want to go to university, she wants to stay here with me," says Nicola.
She sings away all the time at home, and makes up her own tunes and songs, and loves singing pop songs and opera.
"She is very outgoing both at home and at school, but does not go to many group activities, she just wants to stay home with mummy and daddy," she said.
"She is mature for her age, yet she is still innocent for a 10-year-old," she said.
Chloe also had a special role as flowergirl at her parents' wedding celebrations in 2003.
Having the baby safely delivered after the bomb, and knowing that all her family and Michael were safe, helped Nicola to cope and to live a happy life.
She never forgets those who were bereaved or seriously injured. Many other friends who were injured are still in regular contact.
"We support each other and we talk about the bomb," she said.
Nicola sustained a shrapnel injury to her leg in the bomb and glass was embedded in her limb because of the bombing.
Heavily pregnant, Nicola had been due to go into hospital on the following Monday to be treated for high blood pressure. But fate intervened.
Having spoken to her mum Valerie, outside the Nichols and Shiels shop, Nicola had been trying to cross the road at the traffic lights outside the Cosy Corner bar to meet Michael, who was outside Slevin's chemist, when the bomb exploded.
"I never got across the road and Michael was lying with a coat over him," she said.
"It all went silent. There was an eerie silence, smoke and the noise of the alarms," she said.
After the bomb Nicola was rushed to Dungannon and South Tyrone Hospital, where baby Chloe Hope was born five days later.
She was named Hope as a symbol for the future, her mum said.
Nicola remembers being relieved that her baby and family were safe.
"It was overwhelming, the fact that she was safe, and born and that they were all okay, that my mum, aunt and cousin and Michael were grand," she said.
Nicola said she did not have any fear or flashbacks when her second child Ben was born.
"I'm a laid-back person. I just went with the flow and had my check-ups and everything was fine.
"With Ben it went smoothly. The consultant I had at Dungannon had moved to Craigavon hospital.
"I went to the same consultant, Mr Hunter, who I had Chloe with.
"It seemed fitting, I felt safer going to the same consultant," she said.
"Chloe is glad she has a brother. She just loves him to bits, and helps him out and plays with him," she said.
"Ten years on, I feel that it went very quickly.
"Every year, I have a birthday to plan for. I could have been visiting a grave.
"I think that has helped me. Things would have been different if Chloe had died. I feel good we all came out of it safe. It is very sad for the people who died," she said.
"It never really affected me, I had my family and we were so close.
"My mum, auntie and cousin and Michael were there and we could talk about it," she said.
Her cousin, Andrew Graham, who was aged nine at the time, suffered shrapnel injuries to his legs.
Scared by the blast, he ran away down to the Campsie end of Omagh, while his family searched for him, fearing he was missing or dead.
"It must be awful for those families who lost someone," she said.
"I've never gone to counselling, or groups, I just got on with life.
"I think it's because I had a wee baby and was happy," said Nicola.
"Never in my life did I think there would be a bomb in Omagh.
"Everyone was cheerful, we just thought it was a bomb scare," she said.
Nicola believes whoever is responsible should be brought to justice.
"Too many people died that day and too many were injured for them to get away with it," she said.
UTV is live in Omagh 10 years after the bomb for the opening ceremony of the memorial garden this Friday at 3pm.
This will be followed by a LIVE UTV news special from 5.30pm in Omagh.
There will also be an Insight Special report to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Omagh bomb, on Monday at 8pm.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL10An/09
Published Date: 13-Aug-08
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