Nic's Story

Nic Russell and her daughter Kenzie made international headlines in February 2006 due to their combined battle against cancer. Kenzie, at the age of two and a half had been diagnosed with a paraspinal bone cancer which had left her paralysed. Nic, while living 12,000 miles away from family and friends in Ireland, was in desperate need of a breakthrough cancer treatment drug.

Their story is both extraordinary and inspirational. It is a tumultuous and heart rendering journey through the rollercoaster ride that is cancer.

The beginning of 2005 brought promise, at its’ close Nic had been left without her daughter, a broken marriage, no income or possessions and faced an uncertain future. The dawn of 2006 brought a life which Nic could only describe of as her worst nightmare - a life without one of her children, Kenzie. Together with her son Conor, Nic started to rebuild their lives and set about establishing a charity in memory of Kenzie, called Kenzie’s Gift.

Nic’s dream and vision is to offer hope and healing to other families affected by cancer by providing much needed psychosocial supports. She has gained a lot of support from among the health community and families alike. As such, her dream for Kenzie’s Gift is slowly but surely becoming a reality.

If you would like Nic to share her story and the message of Kenzie’s Gift with your community group or organisation please email kenziesgift@kenziesgift.com