Up until now, I have been telling you about Nicole as it relates to the timeline of events surrounding her manic episodes. But I haven’t had a chance to tell you about who she really is at her core.
Nicole was born and raised in Jamaica and moved to the states when she was 10. She comes from a very large family where is she youngest of 6 siblings. One of the things that makes me so proud of her is that she is just overall a good person. She is hands down one of the most caring and compassionate people that I know.
NICOLE LINTON THE PROTECTOR
From a very young age, she has always been overprotective of her older sisters; especially me because I used to get bullied and teased all the time because I am on the autism spectrum. Nicole is actually the one who made me realize that I was even on the spectrum at the ripe old age of 34. And the most interesting part about that story is that she told me that in the middle of her first manic episodes in May 2018, when I had first arrived in Houston. And even while in her manic state, she was able to change my life forever and now the whole world makes more sense to me and I have nobody but Nicole to thank for that.
By the way, while she’s been in jail, I asked her what made her think I was on the spectrum. She said it was because she had watched the show Atypical and the main character reminded her of me so much from when I was a child. This is a prime example that representation in TV matters and can truly change life….it did mine.
Nicole was always my protector, but it turns out she was a protector for other people as well. An old friend wrote in a character reference letter for Nicole to the court about an incident where Nicole and a couple other kids witnessed someone hitting his partner. Apparently, Nicole called the cops when all the other kids with her didn’t even want to get involved. This was my first time ever hearing this story.
NICOLE LINTON THE KIND AND COMPASSIONATE
Nicole is also a kind, giving and compassionate person. For example, while in high school, she was the one who took care of my mom when she had major surgeries back to back in 2002 and then again in 2003. During one of those times, my mom was placed in an induced coma and Nicole was there every day to take care of her. She would brush her hair, bathe her and tend to her wounds. And I remember seeing my mother in the hospital and I couldn’t even go into her room because I couldn’t stand to see her like that. Nicole had no issues and I think it was an early sign that she was meant to be a nurse.
Nicole is the type of person that worked super hard all throughout high school to buy a car which she then left it behind for her sister Kim when she went off to college.
She’s the type of person that cares so deeply for animals to where she was worried about a pet turtle while in Jail, and saying she will never visit another zoo again because of how they treat animals.
She’s the type of person who would spend her last two birthdays in Jamaica with her mom so that she can give her a tourist experience in her own country, which she rarely ever gets living so deep into the mountains.
She’s the type of person who, just one month before the accident, sent a big box of presents to Kim with 20 presents numbered 1 through 20. She gave her specific instructions on the birthday countdown and that she was only allowed to open each box according to their number starting on July 1st. She wanted to give her sister a memorable 40th birthday from afar, which she did.
Nicole’s love and compassion for others is what drove her to become a nurse. Although it it came with its own unique set of challenges, she truly did love being a nurse and helping people.
NICOLE LINTON THE BIG DREAMER
Nicole is the type who always dreamed big and I envied her boldness and passion. While in CRNA school, as part of a school project, She wanted to implement a program that would improve anesthesia care in the rural areas in Jamaica. During one of her trips to Jamaica, a couple months before her first manic episode, she met with local Jamaican doctors to discuss how she could implement her plans.
Nicole is very fond of nature and she especially loves to visit our mom who lives in a very rural and remote part of Jamaica. It’s so remote that it doesn’t show up on Google Maps and you have to use landmarks to navigate your way there.
She loved it so much that, also while in CRNA school, she wanted to build luxury villas in that same rural mountain on land owned by the family. She wanted to share that part of the Jamaica, rarely seen by tourists, to the rest of the world.
Before the accident, she also had plans to go back to medical school to become an anesthesiologist as well as plans to open up her own restaurant in Houston named “Lorraine’s Seafood.” Her Airbnb belongings was shipped to me and among her items was a book on how “To Start a Restaurant” as well as her book of ideas for the restaurant. In it, she describes her goal to create a luxury/classy seafood restaurant modeled after her favorite seafood place in Jamaica called Hellshire Beach in Portmore, Jamaica where she grew up.
NICOLE LINTON LOVES HARD AND SHE IS LOVED BY SO MANY
Nicole has a deep love for her family and everything Jamaican. She loves reggae and dancehall more than anyone else I know. She would go back to Jamaica as often as she could because that was always home for her. She also wanted to spend as much time with our mother who lives alone and who she loves dearly.
Nicole is supported by a large family who loves her deeply. For over a month, the media, social media, and prosecutors, have been telling Nicole’s story in what seems like an attempt to paint her as this reckless and/or suicidal murderer. But her family knows the real Nicky and we had to sit back quietly while the whole world berated and dehumanized her.
I hope the families affected by this tragedy don’t feel as if we are trying to have Nicole absolved from any sort of accountability. What we want is to make sure that, whatever the rule of law is for situations like this, is applied fairly to Nicole’s case. But from our point of view, it seems as though she is facing way too harsh of a charge and as her family, we cannot just sit on the sidelines.
I wanted to help tell Nicole’s story by sharing photos of her in order to show the world that she isn’t some cold-hearted murderer. She has been an inspiration to me to see how hard she worked to achieve her goals while trying to maintain peace and reduce the stress in her life.
Something happened that took her down this path. We may never know, but what we do know is that this was not intentional and we as a family will continue to love and support Nicky in every way possible.
