Death of brother, sister made for difficult year

Nicole grapples with daily tasks as she slowly loses her eyesight.

One of the hardest things she had to do was give up her job working with children shortly after she noticed she had trouble with her eyes.

“I’m trying to keep my spirits up, but it’s difficult,” said Nicole.

Vision problems run in the family and her father was completely blind. It’s a challenge for Nicole, 67, to take care of herself.

“I have a hard time cooking food,” said Nicole. “I don’t want to cut myself.”

Her fridge is stocked with frozen meals, fruits and vegetables that are easy to prepare in order to avoid an accident.

“I have a hard time with my hands and feeling at the tips of my fingers, so that doesn’t help,” said Nicole. “But some have it worse than I do.”

Nicole also suffers from problems with a knee and her spine. She is often in agony and her condition makes leaving the house difficult.

“It’s really painful for me,” she said.

Nicole is among thousands who will receive a $125 cheque from the Montreal Gazette Christmas Fund. The money helps those in need get through the holiday season.

Over the past year, Nicole has lost two of her siblings. Her older sister died in March while her brother died in the fall.

“It’s been very difficult,” she said.

Nicole was particularly close with her older sister, who used to call her every evening just to talk. It’s hard for Nicole to mention her without crying.

“We talked every day,” said Nicole. “We were very close. I miss her most, damn it.”

It has been a tough year so Nicole does her best to leave the house when she can. She opted recently to take adapted transit from her apartment to a community dance class.

“I can dance even with my cane,” said Nicole. “I was so welcomed. You have no idea how they encouraged me.”

The money from the Christmas Fund will help Nicole buy food for the holiday season so she doesn’t have to worry about budgeting. She is excited to prepare a special Christmas dinner for her two children, who she doesn’t get to see as often as she would like.

“We don’t get to see each other much,” said Nicole. “They have their lives too.”