DRUMQUIN TEENAGER DETERMINED TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL
Drumquin teenager 'determined to live life to the full'
"IT REALLY doesn't seem like a year," says Shauna Skelton about the first anniversary of the bomb which claimed her mother's life and left her with complicated injuries.
The youngest daughter of Kevin and the late Philomena (Mena) Skelton appears relaxed as she talks about the events of the last 12 months but, like many local people, she keeps repeating her astonishment that the anniversary seems to be approaching so quickly.
"Last year I remember thinking it would take ages for the year to come round, but it has flown in. It's just unbelievable," she says.
The 14-year-old Drumquin girl suffered a broken jaw, and wasn't able to eat solid food for six weeks because her teeth were wired.
She also has some shrapnel scarring on her cheek, but is mature and confident enough to pull her red hair back from her face in a casual ponytail in the way she always has done.
She says the scarring does not bother her, and insists that she is not interested in having plastic surgery.
"It's not going to go away. You can sit there thinking about it but you may as well get on with things," she says.
And with great tolerance, she smiles as she explains how her little cousin was initially frightened of her when she first came out of hospital.
"My own wee cousin was afraid of me. At first she wouldn't come near me, but once she realised it was there and that was that, she was fine."
Despite suffering trials an adult would find difficult to endure, Shauna says the last thing she wants is pity. And that was something that worried her before she took the brave decision to return to Loreto Grammar School the month after the bombing.
"I was really looking forward to going back and meeting my friends again, but I was nervous because I thought I would be treated differently," she says.
"I was afraid that in conversation they might stop and think about what they were saying before they said it, or give me special attention, or feel sorry for me.
Supportive
"But they didn't. They've all been really good about it and the teachers weren't too hard on me about doing work for the first few weeks.' Everybody was supportive but they didn't sit with you and feel sorry. I would hate people to pity me."
Her family have been the same, with big sisters Paula (19), Tracey (16) and brother Ray (17) described as "brilliant".
But the real tower of strength has been Shauna's father, Kevin. Despite his concern for his youngest daughter, he has allowed her to blossom into a confident young woman.
"Since the bomb, we have had a lot of photographers around asking to take pictures of me, but he always says, 'There is no point asking me, ask her'. He lets me make up my own mind and doesn't force anything on me.
"He says there is no point wrapping me up in cotton wool because I am going to have to go out on my own sometime."
Despite his troubles this year, Mr Skelton carried on a tradition established by his wife in 1997 by inviting a loveable Romanian child, Andreea Cozac, into his McCrea Park home.
The 12-year-old orphan calls herself Andreea Skelton when she visits Northern Ireland, and she sits happily drawing pictures while Shauna chats.
Shauna says she is careful not to let her mind dwell on the approaching anniversary for fear it would spoil Andreea's stay in Drumquin.
"If I though about it I know I'd only wreck her holiday. Andreea gives you hope. It's hard to explain, but I suppose her visit has kept my mind from it," she says.
"She remembers anyone she met last year, and runs upland hugs them. And she has a name for everyone: Daddy is 'monkey', I'm 'mother duck' and she is 'baby duck'," she explains.
Andreea was aware of what happened in Omagh last year because she saw the video footage, which was broadcast all around the world. And when another Romanian girl visited the town at Christmas, Shauna asked her to tell Andreea what had happened to her mother.
No one knows if the message was passed on, because when Andreea ran to meet the family at Belfast airport, she asked to be taken to Mena's house.
"She didn't want to believe, but once I told her she believed it," says Shauna.
After all that she has been through in the past year, Shauna thinks her confidence has increased. She took part in a play at Christmas, and makes an extra effort to meet up with friends at the GAA club or in town. Going into Omagh was initially difficult, but now she spends almost every Saturday there.
"I know I have changed because you have to change when something like that happens. I have a better outlook on life and enjoy myself more. Before, when there were things going on down the town I would have hardly paid any attention. I would have seen friends on the bus and at school and that was it," she says.
"Now if there's anything on I'll be going to it. You only get to do it once so you may as well do what you can.
"I take part in more things than I used to do, and I think its given me a better perspective on life. It made me realise you only live once so I'm determined to live life to the full."
So its back to school for Shauna in September, where she will go into fourth year, and begin studying for nine GCSEs.
"I didn't have to cut out any subjects. I was lucky because third year isn't one of the most important years, whereas somebody in fourth year might have had to cut down on their subjects," she says.
After that, Shauna's ambition is to learn Romanian and perhaps travel out to visit Andreea in her homeland.
"She sits and talks in English and Romanian, so I know the words for goodbye, thank you, please, up to 100 in numbers, go to bed, and so on. I'd love to learn Romanian because then I would be able to communicate completely with Andreea, but not that many people around here teach it," she says.
"IT REALLY doesn't seem like a year," says Shauna Skelton about the first anniversary of the bomb which claimed her mother's life and left her with complicated injuries.
The youngest daughter of Kevin and the late Philomena (Mena) Skelton appears relaxed as she talks about the events of the last 12 months but, like many local people, she keeps repeating her astonishment that the anniversary seems to be approaching so quickly.
"Last year I remember thinking it would take ages for the year to come round, but it has flown in. It's just unbelievable," she says.
The 14-year-old Drumquin girl suffered a broken jaw, and wasn't able to eat solid food for six weeks because her teeth were wired.
She also has some shrapnel scarring on her cheek, but is mature and confident enough to pull her red hair back from her face in a casual ponytail in the way she always has done.
She says the scarring does not bother her, and insists that she is not interested in having plastic surgery.
"It's not going to go away. You can sit there thinking about it but you may as well get on with things," she says.
And with great tolerance, she smiles as she explains how her little cousin was initially frightened of her when she first came out of hospital.
"My own wee cousin was afraid of me. At first she wouldn't come near me, but once she realised it was there and that was that, she was fine."
Despite suffering trials an adult would find difficult to endure, Shauna says the last thing she wants is pity. And that was something that worried her before she took the brave decision to return to Loreto Grammar School the month after the bombing.
"I was really looking forward to going back and meeting my friends again, but I was nervous because I thought I would be treated differently," she says.
"I was afraid that in conversation they might stop and think about what they were saying before they said it, or give me special attention, or feel sorry for me.
Supportive
"But they didn't. They've all been really good about it and the teachers weren't too hard on me about doing work for the first few weeks.' Everybody was supportive but they didn't sit with you and feel sorry. I would hate people to pity me."
Her family have been the same, with big sisters Paula (19), Tracey (16) and brother Ray (17) described as "brilliant".
But the real tower of strength has been Shauna's father, Kevin. Despite his concern for his youngest daughter, he has allowed her to blossom into a confident young woman.
"Since the bomb, we have had a lot of photographers around asking to take pictures of me, but he always says, 'There is no point asking me, ask her'. He lets me make up my own mind and doesn't force anything on me.
"He says there is no point wrapping me up in cotton wool because I am going to have to go out on my own sometime."
Despite his troubles this year, Mr Skelton carried on a tradition established by his wife in 1997 by inviting a loveable Romanian child, Andreea Cozac, into his McCrea Park home.
The 12-year-old orphan calls herself Andreea Skelton when she visits Northern Ireland, and she sits happily drawing pictures while Shauna chats.
Shauna says she is careful not to let her mind dwell on the approaching anniversary for fear it would spoil Andreea's stay in Drumquin.
"If I though about it I know I'd only wreck her holiday. Andreea gives you hope. It's hard to explain, but I suppose her visit has kept my mind from it," she says.
"She remembers anyone she met last year, and runs upland hugs them. And she has a name for everyone: Daddy is 'monkey', I'm 'mother duck' and she is 'baby duck'," she explains.
Andreea was aware of what happened in Omagh last year because she saw the video footage, which was broadcast all around the world. And when another Romanian girl visited the town at Christmas, Shauna asked her to tell Andreea what had happened to her mother.
No one knows if the message was passed on, because when Andreea ran to meet the family at Belfast airport, she asked to be taken to Mena's house.
"She didn't want to believe, but once I told her she believed it," says Shauna.
After all that she has been through in the past year, Shauna thinks her confidence has increased. She took part in a play at Christmas, and makes an extra effort to meet up with friends at the GAA club or in town. Going into Omagh was initially difficult, but now she spends almost every Saturday there.
"I know I have changed because you have to change when something like that happens. I have a better outlook on life and enjoy myself more. Before, when there were things going on down the town I would have hardly paid any attention. I would have seen friends on the bus and at school and that was it," she says.
"Now if there's anything on I'll be going to it. You only get to do it once so you may as well do what you can.
"I take part in more things than I used to do, and I think its given me a better perspective on life. It made me realise you only live once so I'm determined to live life to the full."
So its back to school for Shauna in September, where she will go into fourth year, and begin studying for nine GCSEs.
"I didn't have to cut out any subjects. I was lucky because third year isn't one of the most important years, whereas somebody in fourth year might have had to cut down on their subjects," she says.
After that, Shauna's ambition is to learn Romanian and perhaps travel out to visit Andreea in her homeland.
"She sits and talks in English and Romanian, so I know the words for goodbye, thank you, please, up to 100 in numbers, go to bed, and so on. I'd love to learn Romanian because then I would be able to communicate completely with Andreea, but not that many people around here teach it," she says.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0711
Published Date: 12-Aug-99
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