Marcella Doherty was only 24 years old when she died of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy or ARVC. Despite her untimely death being as a result of this undiagnosed killer, Marcella had symptoms in the week prior to her death. Sadly, diagnosis proved inadequate and Marcella was unable to convince the medical establishment about the seriousness of her illness in that difficult final week of her short life. This is her story.
Marcella was born in May 1981, the youngest daughter of Peter and Brigid Doherty of Bellaghy, County Derry, Northern Ireland. A loving and infectious child, she brought great joy to not only her close family, but to her large family circle – all could call her a real friend.
She attended St Mary’s Primary School in the village before going to St Patrick’s college, Maghera. It was in secondary school that she first developed her love of hair and beauty and instinctively knew that her future career was in this field.
After her apprenticeship she opened her own salon on Main Street in Bellaghy – a time in her life which brought with it great stress but ultimately the freedom and delight of being her own boss. She quickly established her reputation and built up a huge customer base – attracted not only by her skills as a hairdresser but by the sheer joy of her as a person. She had tremendous humour, backed up by the most infectious laugh – and people invariably sought her out because being with Marcella was always fun.
In early 2005, Marcella had talked to her mum about moving in to larger premises and branching out into beauty therapy and had already identified a suitable space in the village to pursue this dream.
She talked excitedly about buying her dream car – a red Audi A4 – and was excitedly pursuing both ventures at the time of her death.
On Saturday 17th September 2005, Marcella had agreed to attend her cousin Siobhan’s hen night in Newry city. Marcella enjoyed a good night out and all had a great time with Marcella as the life and soul of the party!
She had confided that evening of experiencing strange symptoms in recent days – irregular heartbeat, strange vibrations in her chest and back – but it was on the way home the next afternoon that she collapsed in a shop in Armagh city.
She was taken to the doctor on call who admitted her immediately to hospital where she was given the usual tests – ECG, blood pressure etc. – which showed nothing for concern.
She was discharged that afternoon despite earlier indications that she was to be admitted for further tests.
This confusion and failure to admit Marcella that Sunday prior to her death continues to haunt Marcella’s family and friends.
Over the next week, Marcella continued to experience these worrying and increasingly odd symptoms and had once again visited casualty and sought medical help, without success.
She confided in her cousin Fidelma in her salon on the morning of Saturday 24th September that she was ‘scared’ of these increasingly frequent chest vibrations and feelings of dizziness.
That day, some close friends invited Marcella for a night out in Downings in County Donegal. She had admitted to her mum that she had serious concerns about her state of health, but being the person she was, she couldn’t let the side down.
That night, the group partied before returning to the holiday park in the village. On Sunday morning Marcella, characteristically, was up first and bustling around preparing to go shopping in Letterkenny. She went to the small bathroom in the mobile home; she did not return.
Her friends realised that something was amiss when they couldn’t get Marcella’s attention but had to look in through the window of the small bathroom to find Marcella sitting on the seat of the toilet with her watch in hand, obviously taking a reading of her pulse.
Unfortunately, Marcella had died. It was Sunday 25th September 2005 – one week exactly after her collapse.
Marcella’s immediate family, her family circle, her huge circle of friends and acquaintances were left stunned by her death. Sadly, diagnosis proved inadequate and Marcella was unable to convince the medical establishment about the seriousness of her illness in that difficult final week of her short life. This is her story.
Marcella was born in May 1981, the youngest daughter of Peter and Brigid Doherty of Bellaghy, County Derry, Northern Ireland. A loving and infectious child, she brought great joy to not only her close family, but to her large family circle – all could call her a real friend.
She attended St Mary’s Primary School in the village before going to St Patrick’s college, Maghera. It was in secondary school that she first developed her love of hair and beauty and instinctively knew that her future career was in this field.
After her apprenticeship she opened her own salon on Main Street in Bellaghy – a time in her life which brought with it great stress but ultimately the freedom and delight of being her own boss. She quickly established her reputation and built up a huge customer base – attracted not only by her skills as a hairdresser but by the sheer joy of her as a person. She had tremendous humour, backed up by the most infectious laugh – and people invariably sought her out because being with Marcella was always fun.
In early 2005, Marcella had talked to her mum about moving in to larger premises and branching out into beauty therapy and had already identified a suitable space in the village to pursue this dream. She talked excitedly about buying her dream car – a red Audi A4 – and was excitedly pursuing both ventures at the time of her death.
On Saturday 17th September 2005, Marcella had agreed to attend her cousin Siobhan’s hen night in Newry city. Marcella enjoyed a good night out and all had a great time with Marcella as the life and soul of the party! She had confided that evening of experiencing strange symptoms in recent days – irregular heartbeat, strange vibrations in her chest and back – but it was on the way home the next afternoon that she collapsed in a shop in Armagh city. She was taken to the doctor on call who admitted her immediately to hospital where she was given the usual tests – ECG, blood pressure etc. – which showed nothing for concern. She was discharged that afternoon despite earlier indications that she was to be admitted for further tests. This confusion and failure to admit Marcella that Sunday prior to her death continues to haunt Marcella’s family and friends.
Over the next week, Marcella continued to experience these worrying and increasingly odd symptoms and had once again visited casualty and sought medical help, without success. She confided in her cousin Fidelma in her salon on the morning of Saturday 24th September that she was ‘scared’ of these increasingly frequent chest vibrations and feelings of dizziness. That day, some close friends invited Marcella for a night out in Downings in County Donegal. She had admitted to her mum that she had serious concerns about her state of health, but being the person she was, she couldn’t let the side down. That night, the group partied before returning to the holiday park in the village. On Sunday morning Marcella, characteristically, was up first and bustling around preparing to go shopping in Letterkenny. She went to the small bathroom in the mobile home; she did not return. Her friends realised that something was amiss when they couldn’t get Marcella’s attention but had to look in through the window of the small bathroom to find Marcella sitting on the seat of the toilet with her watch in hand, obviously taking a reading of her pulse.
Unfortunately, Marcella had died. It was Sunday 25th September 2005 – one week exactly after her collapse.
Marcella’s immediate family, her family circle, her huge circle of friends and acquaintances were left stunned by her death – even to this day those who speak of her do so with a look of tremendous sadness and deep pain, as though such a thing is impossible and cannot be true – even years after her passing.
Bubbly, infectious, larger than life Marcella had suddenly and cruelly been taken by a hidden killer. All of us who called her a daughter, a sister, a friend, a cousin, a niece, miss her terribly every single day. But still young people continue to die of this awful disease. If there is any legacy from Marcella’s untimely death, let it be a better system of detection for young people and screening for young, active people. Those of us left to mourn Marcella can only reflect on those unrealised dreams, her name still above the door of her little salon in the village and on our individual, precious memories of a beautiful light, cruelly extinguished.
This narrative was prepared by Fergal Kearney, a first cousin, on behalf and with the consent of Marcella’s family and friends.
In tribute to Marcella, we supply the words to this poem by Mary Fry:
Do Not Stand at My Grave
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.
