Was This in the Plan?

FOREWORD

By Jo Whiley, Radio DJ and Television Presenter

No one has taught me more to relish life than Steph. I first heard from her via a tweet she’d sent me. I get many tweets so I’ve no idea why I replied to her. She’d written to me asking if I could help her fulfil her husband Andy’s bucket list. He wanted to see the Foo Fighters at potentially his final Glastonbury and if possible meet the band who he’d long-time worshipped from afar.

I began to check that Steph’s message was bona fide and my research lead me to her blog and the title of this book—‘Was This in the Plan?’. I remember feeling a connection instantly. Steph and Andy had four children whom they plainly adored. They were formidable characters with a robust sense of humour, they were HUGE music fans and they lived life to the full. But their life was complicated. And then some.

Daisy had extremely complex needs and a life limiting condition. Andy had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and Steph had no choice but to juggle caring for both of them with being Mum to Xanthe, Theo and Jules. The least I could do was engineer a meeting with a rock band. Thankfully Andy got to meet Dave Grohl who was as epic as Andy wanted him to be and didn’t let him down. Phew! From that point on our lives became entwined.

First of all we tweeted, then we texted, and finally we met up and ate cake in a fancy London department store where we got on brilliantly, as I knew we would. I have a sister with learning difficulties so I knew something of Daisy’s world. Both Daisy and my sister Frances would occasionally surprise strangers with a hefty thump for no apparent reason #awkward.

My mum has always been a warrior and I recognised this in Steph. A wife, mother and campaigner who will stop at nothing to care for the people she loves and to make every day count. By sharing her family’s story, Steph speaks to others who are dealing with their own challenges and personal tragedies. Showing us that no matter what life throws at you, there is an inner strength within us all and that as painful as it can be at times, life is there to be lived to the full.

What has happened to Steph is mind-bogglingly heart-break- ing or as Steph puts it succinctly, “it’s just monumentally shit.” It’s been a privilege to get to know the Nimmo family. They’ve changed my perspective of life and death. I now have a much greater appreciation and understanding of both. Steph has spoken of the ripples that Daisy left behind, how she touched so many people’s lives and this is undeniably true. But it’s also true of Steph and she should know that.

She’s a crazy, crusading, running, swimming, music-loving, gin-swigging lady. What’s not to love and admire?