FORMER Liverpool striker Ian Rush reached out to a heartbroken Cork family with a fitting tribute to a their little girl who loved the colour purple.
John and Michelle Savage from Glanmire had initially called on people to wear either purple clothing or nail varnish to mark what would have been their daughter Alisha’s fifth birthday yesterday following her death from a brain tumour earlier this year.
However, Ian, the boyfriend of Cork born model Carol Anthony was so touched by the story he decided to do both and modelled a purple shirt as well. Michelle and John, who also have a two year old daughter named Emma Louise, said they didn’t want the tragedy to detract from happy memories of Alisha who they described as a little girl who loved fun.
The sporting legend gave the thumbs up to the family in a photograph and in doing so revealed a lick of purple nail varnish on his finger-a nod to the little girl’s love of the shade. His tribute was reminscent of a time when Alisha’s dad John would let her paint his nails as she battled cancer in the Dana Faber Institute in Bostob.
Alisha Savage
The dedicated father had sacrificed his business, J&R Vehicle Repairs in Glanmire more than a year and half ago to move abroad with the family in a bid to save his little girl.
Michelle previously spoke of the way it made her four year old daughter laugh to see her dad and grandad sporting painted nails.
“She used to get great entertainment painting her dad and grandad’s nails as she knew that men wearing nail varnish isn’t something you see everyday,” she said.
Cork City Fire Brigade were also remembering Alisha yesterday.
Third Officer Edward Buckley purchased purple nail varnish and managed to convince a number of firefighters to pose for a photograph showcasing their nail polish handiwork. Former Voice UK contenstant Claudia Rose Long from Ballyphehane also celebrated her birthday yesterday and posted a photograph to Facebook page Alisha’s wish with a bottle of nail varnish dedicated to the little girl.
Celebrity solicitor Gerald Kean and his fiancee Lisa Murphy also added a dash of purple to their outfits.