Omagh woman’s skydive challenge in memory of her uncle

A YOUNG Omagh woman has been inspired by the death of her uncle by suicide to undertake a skydive later this year to raise funds for a mental health charity.

Nicole Beattie, 22, will be joined on the skydive by her partner, Glen Mulholland, from Loughmacrory. Together, they aim to raise money to support Aware NI’s work in raising mental health awareness.

In 2017, Nicole’s uncle Rod, originally from Omagh but then living in Galway, died suddenly by suicide.

She has spoken emotionally about the impact his death had on her and how she has worked to come to terms with the loss.

“I always wanted to do something for Rod. He had a long battle with depression, which we knew about. His death was unexpected, and he was struggling a lot towards the end. We knew he wanted to go,” she said.

“Nobody, including my mother and grandfather, wanted to talk about what happened to him. But I was always the one who was very open, despite being only 12 at the time. Even though it was a very sensitive subject in our house, I had to learn about what suicide was.”

Nicole said her decision to do the skydive has helped her grandfather open up more about the loss of his son. She also hopes her effort will help other families affected by suicide.

A student nurse at Magee College in Derry, Nicole has shared her experience in talks to other students. She says many people have reached out to her in recent weeks since she announced the skydive.

“Any death by suicide brings with it a lot of anger and questions. It puts a strain on a family, and it’s only now, eight years later, that we can talk about the devastating impact Rod’s death has had on us,” she added.

“But I’m drawing inspiration from Rod and others close to me who died by suicide. If you can talk things through, then go ahead. Sharing what’s on your mind helps – it’s a problem shared. We shouldn’t be ashamed about losing someone this way.”

Nicole also wants to raise awareness about men’s mental health. Her partner Glen will join her on the skydive to show how important this issue is.

“To me, Rod was an amazing uncle. He always looked after us so much. We all have special memories of him, even though I was only 12. Our family was very close, and Rod always visited us for holidays and special occasions.”

Anyone wishing to support Nicole and Glen can do so via their Justgiving page. It is available at www.justgiving.com/page/nicolebeattie-1