Helena leaped into my life like the fireworks she wants to leave with.
This New Year's Eve when we send her into heaven above the skies of Gisborne I will remember a woman with no equal, a beautifully charismatic woman who changed so many lives for the better, and who leaves me with an amazing dress up box of memories, experiences and wonderful friends.
![Helena McAlpine as an ambassador for NZ Breast Cancer Street Appeal. Photo / NZ Herald](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/V66KRBGCPBPWTG3EFCZMLMA5GQ.jpg?auth=f763982cd0fc5313b1d49672d5dfbd5bf6f7199ce28c005889c32e3e681cdf7a&width=16&height=12&quality=70&smart=true)
She also leaves me the rarest of gifts - falling in love and being loved like never before.