Ottawa Rose opens up about tragic loss of father and last phone call they shared
Ottawa Rose Aidan said she entered the Rose of Tralee to honour her late beloved father from Northern Ireland. The 27-year-old was working in Dublin at the Embassy of Canada to Ireland last year when she received the devastating news that her father was going to die.
He had been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune and neurological condition, and the family lost him just before Christmas.
She didn't make it home to Canada on time to say goodbye, but fondly remembers their last phone call, saying: 'We had a really quick chat, he said he was in pain, he said 'I love you, I'll call you later,' that was our last phone call."
Sadly, while in Ireland this week for the Rose of Tralee, Aidan became overwhelmed with grief, prompting her to take a step back. But her fellow Roses were there to support her.
"We had a really tough night on Wednesday, we were dealing with some of the legal stuff. The outpouring of love and support I got from 31 girls who I'd known for four days... I can't begin to describe how much love, support and kindness I felt that night."
The Ottawa Rose then stunned the crowd with a rendition of Someone's Watching Over Me, which was a tribute to her late dad.
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