Actress Leigh Arnold has opened up about the effect her brother Nicky’s shocking death has had on the family, admitting it has left them all heartbroken.
The Clinic star’s 34-year-old sibling was found dead at their family home in Foxrock last October, and is believed to have died from an aneurysm, although the cause of death is still unknown.
The untimely passing was the second tragedy Leigh had experienced in recent years, after her baby Flynn lost his life to cot death in 2013 when he was just two weeks old.
Writing on her blog LeighArnold.ie about her most recent loss, she thanked those who sympathized with her and showed her support during her most difficult days.
“As you can imagine, our hearts are broken and we needed to huddle together as a family and mourn him quietly and privately,” the 36-year-old said.
“Having our kiddies has given my parents, brother, sister and I a sense of hope and strength and we know Nicky loved them all to the moon and back again.”
She added that what she had been through has unsurprisingly made her view life differently:
“It made me put my life in perspective, and we decided as a family to take a step back and re-evaluate our lives and what our hopes and dreams are, not only for ourselves but for our children,” she said.
“Unfortunately, sometimes a tragedy is the thing that gives people the relevant a**e kicking they need in order to realise we only have one life.
“God forbid if anything ever were to happen, [I want to know] we lived it to the full and without negativity and regret.”
