Remarkable Buncrana woman Christine Gill got the surprise of her life yesterday when members of her all-time favourite band, Westlife, sent her a VIP gig invite.
Christine (39), who has been battling a rare genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis since her childhood, is currently in Letterkenny University Hospital recovering from a tracheotomy and major neurosurgery.
To boost her spirit, Christine’s friend and neighbour Nicola McLaughlin, embarked on a mission to connect with Westlife and secure some words of support from the band members.
Nicola’s online quest began in February on TikTok, but with a little social media magic on Instagram, her videos eventually reached Nikki Byrne and Shane Filan.
The two stars both sent thoughtful video messages to Christine, along with exclusive invites for her to come and see them on their next tour!
Nikki and Shane both honoured Christine’s tremendous courage and bravery.
“Keep fighting, keep showing that strength. You are a warrior,” said Nikki.
“The next time we tour, you are more than welcome to come and meet us in person and say hello to us.”
“Your story is incredible,” Shane said. “You are so brave, so amazing. Thank you so much for being the biggest Westlife fan in the world probably.”
Watch the lovely moment that Christine sees the videos here:
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Video: @sequincinderella
Christine’s love of Westlife was aired on national TV in February when she appeared on The Brain Doctors: Inside Neurosurgery series on Virgin Media One.
The series followed Christine’s most recent surgery at Beaumont Hospital, which removed tumours that threatened to damage areas of her brain stem responsible for breathing.
In the programme, viewers see Christine requesting Westlife as her playlist for the seven-hour surgery.
Meanwhile, her neurosurgeon, Mr David O’Brien was a heavy metal fan!
Just like Christine’s bubbly personality, the feel-good bops of Westlife’s hits eventually won Mr O’Brien over.
Christine shared her journey on the programme to raise awareness of Neurofibromatosis (NF1), a condition that causes tumours to grow along a person’s nerves.
Despite living a relatively normal childhood, enjoying her travels and living in Canada in her 20s, Christine’s condition unfortunately deteriorated in her 30s.
In 2018, at the age of 33, she underwent surgery to halt the spread of the condition. However, the procedure left her largely paralysed.
Her surgery this year sought to bring back some movement in her hand, with her ultimate goal being to pet her beloved cat Misty. The extremely high-risk procedure turned out to be a success and, after some weeks in LUH, she will spend time at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire.
This week’s invitations from Westlife have given Christine a priceless boost in her recovery and she is already looking forward to the gig.
“Everybody is delighted for her,” says Nicola.
“Christine is just so happy all the time, she is so positive and has the world’s greatest memory. She loves the craic, loves her friends and is a real animal lover.”
Nicola was over the moon that her dream for Christine had become a reality. Her videos had gained thousands of views online and were shared far and wide, but it was local woman Aoife McBride who sent it to Lifford football legend Shay Given, who sent it to the Westlife lads to make it all happen.
