Nathan Carter with Billy, Ciara and Arran Nicholl and a photo of Ellie that takes pride of place in the Retreat. JPM7222

Ahead of the first anniversary of her death next week, a quiet rural retreat in memory of Ellie Nicholl was officially launched yesterday (Wednesday).
Country star Nathan Carter was on hand to do the honours at the unveiling of Ellie’s Retreat, a mobile based in Castle Archdale offering free week or weekend breaks exclusively for families who have suffered the loss of a child.
Ellie from Cradien, outside Enniskillen, passed away on the morning of March 9th last year from a rare progressive neurological condition known as Hypomyelination with atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum (H-ABC) Syndrome, which meant she was unable to walk or speak.
This initiative by her parents Ciara and Billy came after they enjoyed a short summer break at Alice’s Escapes in Cumbria, a charity which also offers respite breaks for families. On top of funds already raised, donations to the Ellie Nicholl Fund bank account and online donations took them to the £25,000 purchase price including a financial boost by Omagh man, Michael Doherty who offered to clear the outstanding balance.
In a statement ahead of the opening, the Nicholl family said: “We are delighted to announce that Ellie’s Retreat will be available from Sunday, March 12th. Our hope was to have the Retreat open for Ellie’s first anniversary and we have reached our goal in such a short period of time with guidance and support from our wonderful family and friends. Thank you to everybody who has helped us to achieve this whether financially, physically or by donating gifts. Ellie’s Retreat is very special and unique to Ireland. We sincerely hope it will help families like ourselves find some comfort.”
Any families wishing to avail of a break at Ellie’s Retreat can contact elliesretreat@btinternet.com  in complete confidence to secure their dates.