Devoted niece clocks up the kilometres for uncle who died from cancer aged just 43

The heartbroken niece of a Laytown man who tragically passed away at just 43 from complications arising from pancreatic cancer took on the challenge of running 50km for charity to mark her uncle’s 50th birthday.

It was a particularly significant accomplishment for Nicola Traynor (35), who suffers with psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia, conditions that often leave her with crippling pain and exhaustion.

The childcare professional said she was ‘determined’ to raise funds in memory of Nicholas Traynor who was ‘not just her uncle but her best friend.’

She said: “Nicholas died from complications due to pancreatic cancer in 2014. He would have turned 50 on the 27th of April so I decided to do something that would help other cancer sufferers by raising money for the Irish Cancer Society and celebrate his life.

“I understand 50km would be generally reached quite quickly by people but I'm a heavy girl who suffers with psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia so this was a big thing for me personally to complete.

“I've been on medication since the age of 15 for this and it hasn't been an easy feat.

“I decided to run 50km for his 50th birthday. I completed it on 11th of May 16 days earlier than planned using the treadmill and running and walking on the beach to get the distance.

“I have one of those smart watches that recorded all of the times for me so every time I clocked up kilometres I’d post it up on the Everyday Heroes page to show people that I’d actually done it.

“There has been nearly €700 raised so far which is brilliant.”

Growing up in the same house, Nicola describes having more of a sibling relationship with her beloved uncle.

“Nicholas was a well known character in the local area.

“He was a live wire, everybody loved him, he’d do anything for anybody.

“He attended St Ita’s Special School in Drogheda, he had some learning difficulties so he was nearly younger in his mind than he actually was and I think this kind of shaped his personality.

"When he was diagnosed he went downhill pretty quickly, he would have been nearly six months in and out of hospital before he got diagnosed.

“The doctors were hitting him with the hardest chemotherapy going but eventually I think it was all too harsh on his system and he just couldn’t fight it. It was just too much for him.”

“My granddad was alive at the time so he lived in the house and Nicholas would have been the baby of the family and it hit him very hard.

“He passed way six months and two days later. He died of a broken heart.

“Still to this day, I expect him to walk in the door."

While the Laytown woman admits ‘struggling’ without her uncle in her life he says keeping his memory alive has been a comfort.

“It’s very difficult when you don’t have that person that you talk to.

“Nicholas would have been the one that I would go to and hash it all out with him and say right what will I do.

“It has been a comfort taking on this challenge, remembering all of the good times we had and keeping his memory alive.”