PORTSMOUTH — When Chris Carceller told her friend Carrigan Nelson that she was going to propose a day in her honor, Nelson made it clear she didn’t want any celebration to be about her …
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PORTSMOUTH — When Chris Carceller told her friend Carrigan Nelson that she was going to propose a day in her honor, Nelson made it clear she didn’t want any celebration to be about her alone.
“She wanted to create a broader impact, a day that reflects her mission of hope and resilience for everyone battling cancer,” Carceller said.
That’s just like Nelson, who in 2019 was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, and has been fighting the disease ever since.
“Carrigan’s compassion, her kindness and her genuine care for those in need have left a lasting mark on our hearts. She embodies the true meaning of a warrior — not just for herself but for an entire community of people fighting alongside her,” Carceller told the Town Council last week before the panel proclaimed Saturday, Feb. 8 — Nelson’s birthday — as Carrigan Nelson Day in Portsmouth. True to Nelson’s mission of lifting the spirits of others who are also battling the terrible disease, it will also be known as Cancer Warrior Day.
“What makes Carrigan so remarkable is not only her perseverance but her incredible ability to think beyond herself. Despite facing unimaginable trials, she has continuously sought ways to support others who are also on difficult journeys.”
Carceller said Nelson’s “courage, kindness and unwavering spirit makes this world a better place.” Despite battling cancer for six years now, Nelson has demonstrated “an unbreakable spirit and heart full of love” for others, she said.
“Many would have been overwhelmed by even one diagnosis, but Carrigan has faced every challenge head on — not with despair, but with determination. She has chosen joy, she has chosen hope, she has chosen to sing her way through life — a melody of strength that lifts up everyone around her,” Carceller said.
Nelson, in fact, sang the National Anthem at Fenway Park before a Red Sox game in August 2021.
Carceller said Nelson has taught community members about bravery, kindness and the strength of the human spirit in her 23 years, and a day in her honor will help carry her message forward.
“Let it be a day of hope, a day of strength, and a day to remind us to never stop fighting, never stop believing and never stop supporting one another,” Carceller said, before asking those in the audience to pray for Nelson, who couldn’t attend the meeting because she was being treated at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
Before signing the proclamation, Council President Keith Hamilton shared his great admiration for Nelson.
“She is a remarkable young woman. I wish I had an ounce of her fight,” he said.