Cancer tragedy girl’s dad offers stranded medics free transport

A MAN who lost his seven-year-old daughter to cancer two years ago has stepped up to offer free transport in his all-terrain Jeep to medical workers at Lagan Valley Hospital during the weather crisis.

Big-hearted Noel Dempster from Hillsborough, said that when his daughter Cariss was in hospital in the winter the nurses all worked hard to get into work to look after her.

“We would have been lost if those nurses hadn’t been able to get into the hospital because of the weather,” he explained.

“That’s why I wanted to make this offer — to put something back, to help other people out at a difficult time.”

Noel (above, with wife Elaine), a crossing patrol man at Dromore Primary School, made the free transport offer on his Facebook page yesterday.

He said he had just joined NI 4X4 Response, which brings people with all-terrain vehicles together to help folk cope with foul weather.

“They contacted me after reading what I’d posted on Facebook and I’ve signed up to join them,” he added.

“They’ve been out this last few days, helping people all over Northern Ireland, using their own personal vehicles to bring food to old folk, or helping nurses or other medical people get to work in spite of the snow.”

Despite the messages of praise on his social media page, modest Noel said: “I’m no hero, definitely not. I’m just the same as anybody else. I went through sticky times with people being ill in winter and I just wanted to try to repay the help we got.

“If I can help other people out, that’s the main thing in this world. Too many people are just into themselves and would walk past somebody in need, but I like to try and help out whenever I can.”