'She was a star': Greenland fifth-grader dies from cancer 2 months after father's death

GREENLAND — Elisa Nichols is mourning the death of her 10-year-old daughter to brain cancer this week, exactly two months to the day her husband died after a sudden bout with bacterial meningitis.

Lavender Nichols, a fifth-grader at Greenland Central School, died Monday morning at Boston Children’s Hospital after an eight-month battle. Her father, 39-year-old Stephen Nichols, fell ill in mid-August and died days later at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

Elisa Nichols and her 14-year-old son, Stevie, Lavender’s brother and a Portsmouth High School freshman, are grieving back-to-back tragedies as the community has rushed to help.

Diagnosed in February with high-grade glioma, Lavender wished to be interviewed by Seacoastonline about her story as the community fundraised for her family. However, the girl’s condition rapidly deteriorated. In recent days, after being readmitted to the hospital on Sunday, Oct. 8, she was unable to swallow or speak, her mother said.

“She wanted to let everyone know that even though life changed for her, there’s still always something to be thankful for,” Elisa Nichols said Thursday afternoon at her home in Greenland.

Nearly $26,000 has been raised for the Nichols family on GoFundMe since Steve Nichols' death.

'She made the most out of it'

The grief-stricken family’s Tide Mill Road household is located steps away from Prospect Hill Cemetery, where Steve is buried and where Lavender will be laid to rest on Saturday morning.

Flowers and framed photographs of Lavender from throughout her life, including one at her confirmation this year following her diagnosis, line the downstairs of the family's home. Homemade decorated lanterns and posters made by Lavender’s classmates and peers are displayed in the house, as are stuffed animals she received.

Elisa Nichols, beside close friend Jesmar Conant, Lavender’s godmother, spoke about the loss of her daughter and husband and described her family’s resolve. Behind her in the kitchen stood a sign: “Be grateful; have faith; think positively; smile often; love freely; dream big.”

“Just one time, she said to me, ‘I don’t know why it’s me.’ She really accepted her diagnosis in such a positive way,” said Elisa Nichols, who works as assistant director at the Academy of Little Learners preschool in York, Maine. “That’s why, even after eight months, I just have such peace. Even in the eight months of Lavender’s journey with this thing, she made the most out of it. She accepted her fate in such a mature way.”

Lavender was diagnosed with cancer in the winter and underwent radiation, but in June, the tumor returned.

The Nichols family meets Olivia Rodrigo

Assisted by Make-A-Wish in New Hampshire, Lavender sent a handwritten note to Grammy Award-winning pop star and actress Olivia Rodrigo detailing her sickness and about her love for the singer-songwriter’s work. Lavender loved Rodrigo’s music and television work, and admired her as a Filipino American, like herself.

Rodrigo wrote back a few days later offering to meet with the Nichols family in Los Angeles.

In early August, Lavender, her older brother, Stevie, and parents journeyed west and met with Rodrigo for two hours at a sushi restaurant. The pop star gave Lavender her sunglasses, signed autographs, took pictures with the family and hugged Lavender throughout the meal. The Nichols family also went to Universal Studios Hollywood.

“Our conversation was just like Olivia was her cousin. It was beautiful, and my husband was there,” Elisa Nichols remembered.

The trip, however, was the last time the family traveled all together.

Remembering Steve Nichols

Two days after returning from California, Steve Nichols became sick, was admitted to Portsmouth Regional Hospital and was intubated.

Days later, Lavender, who returned to Boston for treatment, was escorted by state police from Massachusetts and New Hampshire to say goodbye to her father. Steve Nichols, a Michigan Wolverines football fan, country music enthusiast, Wendy’s manager and devoted father, died on Aug. 16. His wife and son immediately began to plan his funeral while two days later, Lavender underwent another surgery.

“I just never thought he would die from this,” Nichols said with tears in her eyes.

Elisa Nichols: My kids give me strength

Lavender returned home after the surgery. Even as pain persisted, she attended school until late September. But the tumor forced her to be hospitalized.

Last weekend, Lavender took a turn for the worse, telling her mother she was increasingly fatigued. A priest gave her last rites, and Lavender passed away at 8:40 a.m. Monday surrounded by family, with worship music playing in the background.

Nurses and doctors came in and out of the room for hours to pay their respects.

“Sometimes when people ask where I’m getting all the strength, I just think of Lavender and I think of my son,” Elisa Nichols said. “How strong they both are, how incredible they both are. I mean, if my son can still go to school right now, who am I?”

Nichols said her daughter had a smile on her face when she passed away. Later that afternoon, a rainbow appeared directly overhead Greenland Central School.  And on Monday night, hours after her daughter’s death, Nichols dreamed of her husband and his great-grandfather, who died in January, together with Lavender.

“I would always tell her I was so proud of her. I always say to God, you blessed me with such incredible children,” Elisa Nichols said.

The young girl’s mother and godmother recalled her selflessness amid her sickness. At Boston Children’s Hospital, she played with younger children and gave them stuffed animals that were given to her.

“She was always very considerate of other people,” Nichols said.

Lavender played piano and clarinet in her school band, cooked for loved ones, played basketball, sang karaoke, wrote poetry and penned a letter to Kenny Chesney, her father’s favorite artist, after his death. Lavender aspired to be a surgeon or an early childhood teacher when she grew up.

In her eight months living with brain cancer, Lavender underwent four surgeries and two rounds of radiation.

“She was a star,” Conant said.

Lavender is predeceased by her father, Stephen Michael Nichols, her great-grandfather, Frank Nitkowski, and her aunt, Beth Alyssa Sumalinog, according to her obituary.

Lavender Nichols' visitation hours and funeral arrangements

School and family friends are invited to closed casket visitation from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Friday at J. Verne Wood Funeral Home in Portsmouth. Other friends and family are invited to open casket visitation from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.

A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Immaculate Conception Church in Portsmouth, followed by Lavender’s burial at Prospect Hill Cemetery.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Greenland NH mom, community mourn Lavender Nichols and dad, Steve