Tears and rain for Katy's last journey as model goes home
French family find comfort in outpouring of support as they leave, writes Niamh Horan
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O N A dark, wet and miserable December morning, a single light outside Navan mortuary illuminated the sad scenes as the family of Katy French came to collect their beautiful girl and bring her home for the last time.
It had been a long and emotional few days for parents John and Janet and sister Jill. Their pain was clearly etched upon their three exhausted faces yesterday
Exactly a week ago, Katy had travelled to the town full of joy and life to round off what had been a magical week of birthday celebrations.
Now a pale coffin carrying her body was being carried out into the hearse.
Can it be just a few days ago that those joyful images of the glamorous model in that sparkling gold dress leapt of the front pages -- full of life?
As the rain poured down, one local woman who had braved the rain for over an hour to pay her last respects spoke of how Katy's warmth had captured the hearts of so many people.
Soaked to the skin, she explained how she had visited Katy's hospital room on Monday night to give here parents a special relic of St Faustina in their hour of need.
Tired, and in desperate need of the miracle that never came, the couple emerged from the room to thank this complete stranger for her act of kindness.
It was to be a drop in the ocean of the prayers and tributes that had flooded in since news broke of Katy's tragic collapse.
An outpouring which moved the French family to release a statement of heartfelt gratitude following her death.
Now, as a garda escort led the hearse through the streets on what was to be the 24-year-old's final journey home, Christmas decorations hung from the street lights and shoppers walked briskly by, laden down with bags in anticipation of the festive season. For the French family, a day of desolation, and for friends of Katy's, like Andrea Roche, utter bewilderment.
Katy's mother and father face a dark and lonely Christmas without their precious daughter. The smile that could light up a room gone forever.
The sad cortege arrived back in Stillorgan, Dublin, and the cold iron gates of the quiet residential complex slowly opened as the heartbroken family made their way inside.
It is here that they will spend their last two days with Katy before she goes to her final resting place on tomorrow afternoon. These final private hours. A time to say goodbyes and to try and do the impossible -- make sense of why their little girl was lost in the spring of her life.
Katy will be buried after a funeral service starting at 2pm in St Patrick's Church, Powerscourt, Enniskerry. The French family have asked that donations be made to Goal in lieu of flowers.
