Nicki Kennedy has used the inspirational music of U2 to help her fight a brain tumour, overcome deadly meningitis and push herself to walk and talk properly again after a cerebral bleed. Later today, the 40-year-old Tauranga woman will smile like never before when she leaves Tauranga Hospital in her wheelchair and is driven to Auckland for tomorrow's concert. Mrs Kennedy had contracted the killer meningitis bug in July, just a few days after collapsing on her bathroom floor suffering a cerebral bleed.
But after she fell ill, Mr Kennedy and staff at Tauranga Hospital's rehabilitation unit used going to the concert as a motivational tool for her to get well again. During Mrs Kennedy's mobility classes, a U2 poster was put wherever she could see it and could picture herself at Mount Smart watching Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen jnr. "My favourite has to be Bono, there is something magic about him.
He has been inspirational to me." Prior to the tumour she had been introduced to U2's music by her brother, Simon, who remains a devoted fan to this day and will be joining Mrs Kennedy tomorrow. Mr Kennedy, 42, wrote to the Bay of Plenty Times with details of his wife's incredible courage after we invited the Bay's biggest U2 fans to get in touch with us.
"Nicki is the biggest U2 fan in the Bay for sure. In a sense they have inspired her back to good health when on numerous occasions that probably would not have been possible. "Their lyrics, their melodies, their messages of goodwill were an inspiration to Nicki and without doubt helped to save her life," Mr Kennedy said.
Mrs Kennedy has not been away from the rehabilitation unit at Tauranga Hospital for more than a few hours at a time since July and is still in a wheelchair. She also does not have her full range of speech back. "It is going to be awesome.
I will be singing and will be on such a high that Shane will have to attach me to the chair with string.
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