Linda Nolan, 64, shared a touching moment she experienced with her newborn great niece, Marlie Francine. Writing for the Mirror, Linda said the bond between them was so strong that they fell asleep together.
She said: «My beautiful new great niece Marlie Francine and I were so comfortable when we met on Friday, we fell asleep in each other’s arms.»
For Linda, meeting her sister Maureen’s newest grandchild held deep significance. It marked a milestone in her cancer journey, a moment that was hard to put into words.
Reflecting on the day she was diagnosed, Linda recalled sitting on the sofa in May, surrounded by baby clothes she had ordered in anticipation of her great-niece’s arrival.
She said: «Those clothes were going to fill my place. I thought we’d never meet. Now I’ll get to see her in them all, if I can keep my eyes open. I’d be Sleepy for sure if the Nolans ever played the seven dwarves (now there’s an idea).»
Linda also spoke about her third round of chemotherapy, saying how she’d found herself «sitting with a group of ladies, and four of the five of us had been to the same school!»
The discussion revolved around the benefits of cold caps, a technique that helps minimise hair loss during chemotherapy.
Linda herself had used them before, but said: «I’m hardly the poster girl now… when cancer is in the brain, unfortunately you can’t.»
She said she «fell asleep during chemo» too, and she «values ‘cancer friends'» as «you can feel so alone during all this».
In addition to her cancer journey, Linda also found solace and joy in reuniting with old schoolmates. A reunion of 14 friends took place at a local cafe in the park, a place she frequents so often that she jokingly suggested they should erect a blue plaque in her honour.
Overall, it has been a positive week for Linda. She said: «It’s been a pretty good week. The chemo seems to be helping. I feel my balance has improved, I even walked in on my own.
“I won’t start to feel sick and fluey until day six or seven, so for now I’ll do as much as I can.»
This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speed up Express.co.uk’s editorial research. A news editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to readercomplaints@reachplc.com.
