‘I can’t imagine the hardship of dealing with a death and not knowing how to get a loved one returned home’

Michael (Mick) Kelly from Ratoath was enjoying his first trip away after retiring when he passed away suddenly while on holidays in Lanzarote last November.

It was a phone call his family had never, ever expected to get and daughter Cheryl says she can never describe the sense of shock at hearing the news adding that “to be honest the shock hasn't even worn off yet”. Her larger than life dad, who was always the life and soul of the party, suffered a pulmonary embolism and passed away in his sleep. He was just 55 and had only retired from his job as a psychiatric nurse seven weeks earlier.

Cheryl said she had never heard of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust until three different people contacted her after hearing news of her dad's passing to tell her about them. With just one phone call, they took care of everything in relation to getting their dad home- taking away all the additional stress that comes with losing a loved one while abroad.

Cheryl says they can never thank the organisation enough for all they did for them and along with her mother Vivienne and sisters Lauren and Katie they wanted to so something to help other families who may sadly find themselves in a similar situation in future.

They have organised a fundraiser in memory of their dad which takes place in the Ratoath Inn- Mick's local- on Saturday night, 7th March. It will be a celebration of Mick's life while also raising funds for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.

There will be live music and an auction and raffle. There are some fantastic items up for auction including the top lot of a golden ticket which is tickets for two to five music festivals and concerts- Electric Picnic, Forbidden Fruit, All Together Now, Lewis Capaldi and Dermot Kennedy.

Among the many lots are a signed Munster jersey and ball, signed Leinster jersey, and a four-ball at the K-Club. There will also be a raffle for several hampers, signed Meath and Dublin jerseys, a signed Ireland womens rugby jersey, concert tickets and more.

They are hugely grateful to everyone who has donated items for the raffle and auction, saying everyone who ever had a connection with their dad has gone above and beyond to contribute.

“It is a positive focus, something good to think about and talk about and get the association known. I had never heard of it before this happened. Just so people- God forbid that if it ever comes to them- that people know there is help out there for such a harrowing situation.”

Mick worked as a psychiatric nurse in the Phoenix Care Centre (formerly St Brendan's) in Dublin and Cheryl says he had talked about retiring since he was 50 and was on the countdown from then before finally retiring seven weeks before he died.

He had an apartment in Fuerteventura and had decided to bring over a car he had that he wasn't going to get much for if he sold it, to Fuerteventura, bringing it on the ferry and driving through Spain, a trip that took ten days and one that he thoroughly enjoyed providing updates to his family at various stops along the way.

“He said he would do it again in a heartbeat if he had company, that he found the ten days long on his own.”

The idea was to have the car there for any of the family when they went over rather than hiring a car. He had arranged to meet friends in Lanzarote who were flying out from Dublin and it was while in Lanzarote that he passed away suddenly.

Cheryl recalled: “We got the call to say he had passed away. We were absolutely shocked, to be honest the shock hasn't even wore off yet. He was only 55, he had been talking about retiring since he turned 50. He was on countdown and then he finally retired and went away and we got the call to say he had a pulmonary embolism. He just went to sleep and never woke up.

“In our shock at the time, we had no clue where to even start. I haven't even got words to describe how shocking it was. We never expected to get a call but for it to be while he was away, we didn't know where to start with getting him home or getting to him.

Until friends told her about the Kevin Bell Trust, Cheryl said she had never heard of them but they sorted everything.

“I had one phone call that lasted about twenty minutes where they asked me a few questions like whether my dad had health insurance and travel insurance, practical questions but he very considerate and very compassionate on the phone.

“They said to me you wouldn't hear from me again until we have your dad on a flight. We want to take all the stress away from you, we don't want you worrying, we don't want you panicking. I won't be updating you with every single thing, sometimes it can take time, sometimes, you could have five different calls made in a day.

“He said I will call you when I have your dad on a plane and true to his word, he rang me five days later, and had my dad booked onto an Aer Lingus flight. Myself, my mam and two sisters had gone to Lanzarote to see him and so we were able to come home on the same flight with him.

“From the get go, they were so good. My mam said she wanted to do something to repay them because they bring your family member home regardless of your financial circumstances, you don't pay a penny towards it, you don't hear anything about it. They do all the work for you.”

Cheryl told how the charity was set up by the parents of Kevin Bell who died in New York and that since 2013, they have brought 2,000 people home so that other people wouldn't have to go through what they did.

“I can't imagine the hardship of dealing with the death and not knowing how to get somebody home. They took that stress completely away from us so we want to put money into the charity for the next person who unfortunately is going to need it.

“Without them it would have made a really hard situation a lot worse.”

Mick was a hugely popular character around Ratoath where he had lived for 25 years and there was a massive turn out for his funeral.

“He was such a big character and so full of life. He drank in the Ratoath Inn-that is why we are having the fundraiser there. That was his local. He knew everybody in it. He was a real talker, so loud and he was big, somebody you wouldn't miss when you walked in. In size and personality he was a huge man, the fact that he is gone is shocking for us and everybody.

“We are hoping for a good turnout for him and for the charity and also for our mam Vivienne who is so heartbroken without him.”

Raffle tickets are available now in the Ratoath Inn for anyone who can't make it on the Saturday. There will also be envelopes on the night for anyone who wishes to make a donation and donations can also be made by Revolut via Cheryl.