NO MORE PAIN
Brave Tina, 17, with rare illness passes away ‘in mummy & daddy’s arms’
BRAVE teen Tina Mcelligott has passed away after a battle with a rare illness, it has emerged.
She suffered life-threatening seizures as a result of Alpers syndrome and was dealt a serious setback on Friday.
The 17-year-old, from Kilflynn in Co Kerry, lost her fight with the disease and yesterday died in the arms of her mother Mags and father Martin.
They said: “It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our beautiful princess Tina.
“She passed away peacefully at home in her mummy and daddy’s arms.
“You will be in the air we breathe with every breath we take.
“For you beautiful child, there is no more pain and no more fear.
“Before long we will meet again, until then we will listen for your song.
“Fly high little one. You will be forever and ever in our hearts.”
Mags added last night: “I’m heartbroken. Tina fought for so long to stay in this world. She didn’t want to leave us.
“The hours, days, weeks, months indeed all the years ahead will never be the same without her.”
Tina’s aunt Patricia Gavin said her niece was a vibrant young woman, who loved the colour pink.
She added: “She loved life, was very sociable and loved music.”
Alpers is a progressive neurological disorder that begins and is complicated by serious liver disease.
Symptoms include increased muscle tone with exaggerated reflexes, seizures and loss of cognitive ability.
Last year Tina was seizure free for eight months following a medicinal cannabis oil treatment in Spain.
Mags has campaigned to legalise the remedy for Alpers sufferers.
Patricia said: “There’s no side effects, it really does help. Tina was taking 25 tablets a day and when she was taking the oil she had no seizures. It needs to be legalised, the sooner the better.”
Tina was the world’s longest living person with the rare disorder.
She confounded medics by turning 17 last September as most Alpers sufferers normally do not live longer than the age of 12.
CO KERRY YESTERDAY
Fly high little one. You will be forever and ever in our hearts TINA’S PARENTS