Coleen Nolan revealed her sister’s final words (Image: INSTAGRAM)
Cherished and singer Linda Nolan passed away at 65, after her battle with secondary The beloved personality passed away last Tuesday with her sisters Anne, 74, Denise, 72, Maureen, 69, and Coleen, 59 by her side.
In the aftermath of the heartbreak, tenderly recounted the precious last moments with her sister Linda, describing how these cherished memories are giving the family solace. Speaking to Coleen reflected: “It’s been 10 days since my lovely sister Linda died and it’s still hard to believe she’s gone.
“As we prepare for her funeral, when she will be buried with her husband Brian’s ashes, I’m holding on to the memory of the last day I spent with her in , which was full of love and laughter.
“My daughter Ciara and I sat with her and we said everything we needed to say to each other. She told us how much she loved us and we told her we loved her. I think she knew it would be the last time she’d see us, but there were no tears. Although she had double pneumonia and was on oxygen, she was cracking jokes, being her usual funny self and eating the people had brought her. She wanted to hear about my new grandson and I showed her lots of photos of him.”
Even as her health waned post-Christmas, Linda remained positive (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Hea)
Although the nurses urged her to rest, Linda, true to her nature, continued to cha with her loved ones. The final words she shared with Coleen are etched in her memory: “When I left that evening, I told her I’d come and visit the next day and she said, “Oh, you don’t have to” and I said, “I know, but I will” and then she said, ‘Col, I really love you’.”
Eventually, Coleen had to embark on the lengthy drive home, aware that it might be the last time she saw her sister. Coleen said: “We were all exhausted and my sisters told me to go, as I had a two-hour drive home, so I gave Linda a big hug and a kiss, and I knew it would be the last time. When Maureen called the next morning to say Linda had died, I didn’t feel sad that I wasn’t there when she took her last breath because we’d got to spend that precious day together and I’m grateful for that.”
Despite knowing the odds were against her, Coleen admits she held out hope for Linda’s recovery: “Even though I knew she was gravely ill, I really thought she might pull through, as she always has…. In the early hours of the next morning, we were called back to the Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
“When I arrived at 5.30am, she was unconscious and we were told nothing more could be done. My brothers and sisters were all there – Tommy, Brian, Denise, Anne and Maureen. There were about 14 of us at her bedside with the curtains pulled round us and the hospital staff kept coming in with trays of tea and biscuits. They were incredible.
Linda’s sisters were called to her bedside at 3.30am last Tuesday (Image: -)
“Linda had signed a DNR and they turned off the monitors and started decreasing her oxygen, and gave her morphine so she wasn’t in pain. At 2pm, they said she’d probably go quickly, so there was devastation and sobbing, but we were still there at 9.30pm; she seemed determined to hang on.”
Linda’s initial breast cancer diagnosis 20 years ago was swiftly followed by the loss of her husband Brian, who had been her constant companion for 29 years, according to Coleen. “Then, two months later my mum died, all while Linda was having treatment. I don’t think many people could survive that, but she did”.
Despite her health battles, Linda remained resilient. “When her cancer returned in 2020, it was never a case of “I’ve had enough”. Even when she was told the cancer – which had spread to her hip and brain – was treatable but not curable, she kept going.”
However, the news that chemotherapy was failing marked a turning point. “But the last time she saw her doctor and was told the chemo wasn’t working, her reaction was different. She was angry. Her legs were painful and she’d started to fall a lot, and was worried about going out. I’m heartbroken. She was meant to spend New Year at my house, but she was too ill and tired to make the journey.”
Linda’s passing has stirred up the pain of losing their sister Bernie to the same disease in 2013. Coleen said: “Linda’s death has hit us hard and inevitably it’s brought back memories of the devastation we felt when our sister Bernie lost her battle with breast cancer in 2013.”
In honour of their sisters, the family has set up a charity page for donations to Trinity Hospice, a local charity that provided care for both Bernie and Linda. To pay your respects, visit