Lisa Basset

SHE HAS LEFT US A WONDERFUL LEGACY OF COURAGE STRENTGH AND DETERMINATION

1980 – 2005

It’s coming up to Lisa’s fourth anniversary soon and I’d like to write a little bit about her.

Lisa was born in Dublin on 9th July 1980 to two doting young inexperienced parents. She weighted 6lbs 11 ozs and was in no hurry to come into the world. She had dark hair and a cute spud nose and I felt I had produced a miracle. She was beautiful with a little crunched up serious baby face.

I knew from day one that this little girl was special. She was easy going and had a smile which would light up a room. She had inherited her Da and Granny Bassett’s dimples and I always sensed that she was very intelligent as there were times from early infancy that she would get up to mischief just for the craic.

Lisa’s late grandma Connolly helped rear her until Lisa was two years of age and both adored one another.

Lisa’s early childhood wasn’t straight forward. She developed epilepsy at the age of 5 years and due to medical mismanagement we nearly lost her. However Lisa rallied round and we were blessed to have her in our lives for 20 more years. The family grew and Lisa had two brothers Daniel and Alex.

Lisa did exceedingly well in school but really only came into her own academically when we moved back to my native town of Tullamore in 1991. It would be true to say that her heart remained in Dublin and that she would return there intermittingly in later life. Lisa did a great Leaving Cert and proceeded to study science in Trinity College in Dublin. She then decided that science wasn’t for her and went to Maynooth to study English. Lisa spent many happy years in the world of academia and was hoping to eventually work in the field of research. She made many good friends along the way. She travelled a bit going to Finland at 18 years of age where she had great adventures canoeing and rock climbing to name but a few activities She went to Paris with friends and travelled to Scotland a couple of times. She had plans to travel again and top of her itinerary was Rome.

In 2004 Lisa gave birth to a beautiful baby boy whom she named Tiernan. It was a toss up between the names Tiernan or Oscar. There now emerged another side to Lisa, the mothering Lisa. She was a fantastic mother… caring, loving embracing motherhood totally with a love and commitment to her son that was a sight to behold.

Epilepsy was never a problem for Lisa. She had temporal lobe epilepsy which was relatively well controlled but she also had nocturnal seizures.

On the 1st June 2005 Lisa died from SUDEP Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. Our world fell apart. Lisa was only 24years old and had just completed her exams for a Degree in English. Her little son Tiernan was only 13mts old and she was beginning to wean him on to bottle milk. The world was her oyster and she had so many plans.

So today I just want to pay tribute to our wonderful daughter and to thank her for all she gave us in her short lifetime. She has left us a wonderful legacy of courage strength and determination. No words can describe how much we miss her….her easy ways, her wicked sense of humour ,her intelligence ,her brightness, her sense of right and wrong and her downright decency and humanity.

To Lisa;
Lastly Lisa but by no means least we are eternally grateful for the gift of your beautiful son Tiernan to us thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope we are doing you proud.

So sleep well my darling and know that all is well.
Loved Forever
Ma, Da, Dan, Alex and your loving boy Tiernan
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