TRY WITH ALL YOUR HEART
TRY WITH ALL OUR HEART
By NIC NORTH
Omagh bomb victim writes to Ulster leaders as they start peace talks
LYING in hospital, Omagh bomb victim Donna Marie McGillion vowed to do all she could to help win Ulster peace.
After 14 months, the Good Friday deal was on a knife edge and time was running out. Yet there was still a yawning gap between Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and Unionist leader David Trimble.
So, determined no one ever again should suffer such agonies as she had endured, Donna Marie wrote to the two men urging them to try with "heart, mind and soul" to do all they could to; bury hatred and nurture peace.
In those two letters, published here for the first time, she summed up the desperate hopes of a people who have lived too long and died too often in the shadow of the gun.
Her "simple plea" to Mr Adams told of the intolerable pain suffered by herself and her family.
She told Mr Trimble how she would hate to be pushed out of the country she loves because of the "sorrow and grief of sectarian violence."
Crucial
Today, the two leaders enter crucial talks aimed at saving Good Friday before Wednesday's deadline.
And yesterday, at her home in Omagh, Co Tyrone, Donna Marie told The Mirror: "I still have great hope and pray every day they will come to an agreement.
"A lot of hard work has been done by the British and Irish Prime Ministers and by all the political parties over here.
"If they don't reach a settlement, then their work has been wasted. But I do not believe the people of Northern Ireland want to go back to violence.
"I think that if, in the next few days, the politicians come up with the right thing then it will hold and Northern Ireland will be a better place for it.
"We've got to believe it will hold or what would be the point in staying here?"
Donna wrote her moving letters earlier this month while she was spending yet another session in hospital for treatment for her appalling injuries. She does not know what affect they will have. But she vowed: "We all have to do everything we can for peace." Twenty-nine people died and 219 were injured in last August's Real IRA blast in Omagh.
Donna and sweetheart Garry McGillion had been out shopping for shoes for Garry's 21-month niece Breda when the bomb went off.
Breda, who was to have been a flower girl at the couple's wedding, was killed.
Donna suffered 65 per cent third-degree burns to her face, legs and upper body and lay in a coma for six months. At one point, doctors feared she would not survive and she was given the Last Rites.
Mechanic Garry, 24, suffered 35 per cent third-degree burns and spent two months in hospital. But when Donna Marie regained consciousness, they both bravely pledged to make it to the altar.
And in March hundreds of townspeople burst into spontaneous applause when the couple tied the knot at Omagh's Sacred Heart church.
Donna Marie was only able to take two days honeymoon before she had to return to hospital for more treatment.
Last night, she said that although she is on the mend she still cannot return to work because of her injuries.
She said: "I have to go back into hospital this evening to have more skin grafting and another operation. But I'm getting there slowly."
Mr. David Trimble,
Stormont Castle,
Belfast. Donna Marie McGillion,
Omagh. Co Tyrone,
21/6/99.
Dear Mr. Trimble,
My name is Donna Marie McGillion(nee Keyes) I had the pleasure of meeting you at Hillsborough Castle a few months ago.
This is not a letter wrote with a political mind or am I an expert in the political field, just someone who lives in the heart of. N.I. and who loves being here and would not like to be pushed out, because of having to cope with the sorrow and grief of sectarian violence on our streets.
I myself, my husband, his sister and his goddaughter have all been victims of the troubles, after being critically injured in. the Omagh bomb and who's physical and mental pain continues, but is trying to get on with life as best as I can.
I would plea to you to use the power that you have to secure peace and insure that no one else has to go through what the people of Omagh have gone through.
With this being such an important time in the
peace process, I know that you will put your heart, mind and soul into securing what the people want.
We want a better future for our children, with loads of investment, jobs, good wages great education and a boost in tourism, a better N.I. for our kids.
Yours Faithfully.
Donna Marie McGillion.
Mr Gerry Adams
N.I. ASHMBLY
STORMONT CASTLE
STORMONT
BELFAST Donna Marie McGillion,
Omagh, Co Tyrone,
21/6/99.
Dear Mr Adams,
This is not a political letter just a simple plea to you. My name is Donna Marie McGillion, you don't know me but I was one of the injured in the Omagh bomb.
I write this letter from my hospital bed, after having some more operations and the pain that I have endured is intolerable, but life goes on. I myself wasn't the only one who suffered in my family. My Mum, Dad and my two brothers suffered pain of grief as they sat by my bedside as I lay in a coma not knowing if I was going to live or die.
My now husband lay a corridor away from me suffering his own pain from his bums, his grief for his god-daughter who had fatal injuries, worry for his sister and not knowing if he was going to see me again.
So at such a crucial time in the peace process, I know you will do everything in your power to secure this for the people of Northern Ireland. I personally don't believe I could watch anyone else go through what the people of Omagh have had bestowed on them.
So please, please do what you can and more to sec the set up and the running of a new N.I. assembly.
We the people want to have a new N.I. full of investment, jobs, great education and maybe a boost in tourism.
Yours Faithfully,
Donna Marie McGillion.
By NIC NORTH
Omagh bomb victim writes to Ulster leaders as they start peace talks
LYING in hospital, Omagh bomb victim Donna Marie McGillion vowed to do all she could to help win Ulster peace.
After 14 months, the Good Friday deal was on a knife edge and time was running out. Yet there was still a yawning gap between Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and Unionist leader David Trimble.
So, determined no one ever again should suffer such agonies as she had endured, Donna Marie wrote to the two men urging them to try with "heart, mind and soul" to do all they could to; bury hatred and nurture peace.
In those two letters, published here for the first time, she summed up the desperate hopes of a people who have lived too long and died too often in the shadow of the gun.
Her "simple plea" to Mr Adams told of the intolerable pain suffered by herself and her family.
She told Mr Trimble how she would hate to be pushed out of the country she loves because of the "sorrow and grief of sectarian violence."
Crucial
Today, the two leaders enter crucial talks aimed at saving Good Friday before Wednesday's deadline.
And yesterday, at her home in Omagh, Co Tyrone, Donna Marie told The Mirror: "I still have great hope and pray every day they will come to an agreement.
"A lot of hard work has been done by the British and Irish Prime Ministers and by all the political parties over here.
"If they don't reach a settlement, then their work has been wasted. But I do not believe the people of Northern Ireland want to go back to violence.
"I think that if, in the next few days, the politicians come up with the right thing then it will hold and Northern Ireland will be a better place for it.
"We've got to believe it will hold or what would be the point in staying here?"
Donna wrote her moving letters earlier this month while she was spending yet another session in hospital for treatment for her appalling injuries. She does not know what affect they will have. But she vowed: "We all have to do everything we can for peace." Twenty-nine people died and 219 were injured in last August's Real IRA blast in Omagh.
Donna and sweetheart Garry McGillion had been out shopping for shoes for Garry's 21-month niece Breda when the bomb went off.
Breda, who was to have been a flower girl at the couple's wedding, was killed.
Donna suffered 65 per cent third-degree burns to her face, legs and upper body and lay in a coma for six months. At one point, doctors feared she would not survive and she was given the Last Rites.
Mechanic Garry, 24, suffered 35 per cent third-degree burns and spent two months in hospital. But when Donna Marie regained consciousness, they both bravely pledged to make it to the altar.
And in March hundreds of townspeople burst into spontaneous applause when the couple tied the knot at Omagh's Sacred Heart church.
Donna Marie was only able to take two days honeymoon before she had to return to hospital for more treatment.
Last night, she said that although she is on the mend she still cannot return to work because of her injuries.
She said: "I have to go back into hospital this evening to have more skin grafting and another operation. But I'm getting there slowly."
Mr. David Trimble,
Stormont Castle,
Belfast. Donna Marie McGillion,
Omagh. Co Tyrone,
21/6/99.
Dear Mr. Trimble,
My name is Donna Marie McGillion(nee Keyes) I had the pleasure of meeting you at Hillsborough Castle a few months ago.
This is not a letter wrote with a political mind or am I an expert in the political field, just someone who lives in the heart of. N.I. and who loves being here and would not like to be pushed out, because of having to cope with the sorrow and grief of sectarian violence on our streets.
I myself, my husband, his sister and his goddaughter have all been victims of the troubles, after being critically injured in. the Omagh bomb and who's physical and mental pain continues, but is trying to get on with life as best as I can.
I would plea to you to use the power that you have to secure peace and insure that no one else has to go through what the people of Omagh have gone through.
With this being such an important time in the
peace process, I know that you will put your heart, mind and soul into securing what the people want.
We want a better future for our children, with loads of investment, jobs, good wages great education and a boost in tourism, a better N.I. for our kids.
Yours Faithfully.
Donna Marie McGillion.
Mr Gerry Adams
N.I. ASHMBLY
STORMONT CASTLE
STORMONT
BELFAST Donna Marie McGillion,
Omagh, Co Tyrone,
21/6/99.
Dear Mr Adams,
This is not a political letter just a simple plea to you. My name is Donna Marie McGillion, you don't know me but I was one of the injured in the Omagh bomb.
I write this letter from my hospital bed, after having some more operations and the pain that I have endured is intolerable, but life goes on. I myself wasn't the only one who suffered in my family. My Mum, Dad and my two brothers suffered pain of grief as they sat by my bedside as I lay in a coma not knowing if I was going to live or die.
My now husband lay a corridor away from me suffering his own pain from his bums, his grief for his god-daughter who had fatal injuries, worry for his sister and not knowing if he was going to see me again.
So at such a crucial time in the peace process, I know you will do everything in your power to secure this for the people of Northern Ireland. I personally don't believe I could watch anyone else go through what the people of Omagh have had bestowed on them.
So please, please do what you can and more to sec the set up and the running of a new N.I. assembly.
We the people want to have a new N.I. full of investment, jobs, great education and maybe a boost in tourism.
Yours Faithfully,
Donna Marie McGillion.
Further Information
Publisher: THE MIRROR
Ref: TM/087
Published Date: 28-Jun-99
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.