A heartbroken Dublin mum who has tirelessly campaigned against bullying in her daughter's name has spoken about honouring her legacy.
Tallaght mum Jackie Fox was left devastated after her beloved daughter Nicole Fox Fenlon, 21, died by suicide in January 2018 after she endured three years of relentless bullying both online and in person.
Speaking to Dublin Live, Jackie said: "I have two boys and Nicole was my only little girl. Growing up she was great fun, a great personality and she was really bubbly and lively.
Read more: Ivana Bacik elected as new leader of the Labour Party
"She was no trouble at all growing up, she was a wizard in school at Maths. She loved Maths and she wanted to be an accountant. She also wanted to travel to a lot of places but unfortunately she never got to do any of that stuff."
When Nicole was 18, she and her friends would enjoy going out to nightclubs, until one night things changed.
Jackie explained: "Everything was fine in the nightclub until one main girl liked Nicole's friend and the only way she could get closer with this boy was to make friends with Nicole.
"And so that's what she did and everything was fine for the first few months. It was not until this girl realised the boy didn't want to go out with her, he didn't want to have anything to do with her and she didn't like that at all."
A group of Nicole's "friends" made a fake profile and threatened to physically attack Nicole, and Jackie began to see a change in her beautiful daughter.
Jackie said: "From my funny, bubbly little girl I could see her smile was going, her confidence was starting to go and she was spending a lot of time in her room. But she'd always say she was still going to go out every weekend, and I always said 'Nicole would you not stay in with me, that they're not your friends down there' and I knew she'd be safer at home.
"And she always turned around and said, 'No, mam, why should I have to stay in? I should be able to go out and have a laugh, have a few drinks and have a dance'.
Jackie added: "She tried so hard to hold on and she kept this up for three and a half years and she would still go out every weekend and still dance and sing, until it got really too much for her. "
Jackie would often bring Nicole to McDonalds which she loved or on a shopping tip to get her out of her room.
Jackie said: "Bully is a real schoolyard word I think, it doesn't even come close to describing what you can do to a person online. It's not bullying, that's too mild of a word and Nicole was tormented and tortured.
"She didn't want to die, she was happy and we did everything together. Nobody wants to die by suicide, no-one does, it's just that some people feel they can't find a way to stay. Nicole didn't take her own life and I'll always say that, they took her life from her."
Jackie said that she was "so grateful" to have time with Nicole in ICU in hospital for two days before she sadly passed away.
She said: "On the early hours of Saturday morning 20 January, I was beside her and the nurse who was minding Nicole with me in intensive care. Nicole's heart beat started going erratic and her blood pressure was going all over the place and the nurse came over to me, and she put her hands on my shoulder and she just said to me, 'It's time.'
"And I knew exactly what that meant, I still had that little bit of hope that she was going to wake up and that I was going bring her home. When the nurse said it was time I got up on the bed with her, rubbing her hair and cheek.
"The very last things I said to her were, 'Just let go baby, no-one is ever going to hurt you again and no-one's ever going to touch you.' And the last words that I said to Nicole was 'I love you Coco-pops' and then she died."
In the years since Nicole's death, Jackie has given talks in schools all over the country about bullying and suicide awareness, finally getting 'Coco's Law' enacted in February of last year.
Jackie said: "I needed Nicole's legacy, I needed her not to be forgotten. And as I said to my mam I'll make sure that no-one will ever forget her."
If you have been affected by any of the details in this article, please contact Samaritans on 116 123, Aware on 1800 804 848, Pieta House on 1800 247 247, Jigsaw on 1800 544 729 or text TALK to 50808.
There is also a support group for those affected by suicide, called HUGG (Healing Untold Grief Groups), which Jackie helps to run in the Maldron in Tallaght. For further information, visit hugg.ie
Read more: Tallaght mum Jackie Fox who fought for 'Coco's Law' to receive freedom of South Dublin
Read more: Coco's law mum Jackie Fox admits she's 'sickened' daughter Nicole's tormenters won't be prosecuted
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter
