AN Irish dance teacher originally from Belfast has received a heroes welcome after returning to her US home following a two-week battle with coronavirus.
Veronica (McAleer) McCrea took ill just days after she had been due to undertake the pivotal role of grand marshal at this year's St Patrick's Day parade in her adopted home of Wilmington in Delaware.
The 76-year-old, who has been a dance teacher for more than 50 years and was recently inducted into the North American Feis Commission Hall of Fame, was left "overjoyed" when she returned home from hospital.
Her niece, Anne Marie Rushe from Lurgan, told of how her aunt's current and former dance students lined the route to her house, cheering and blasting car horns to welcome her back.
It came just weeks after Ms Rushe had made a surprise visit to Delaware to see her aunt ahead of the St Patrick's Day parade.
Veronica had been chosen to lead this year's event in Wilmington in honour of her years of dedication to dance and Irish culture in the American city.
From a dance family - Veronica's aunt Alice began the first McAleer School of Irish Dance in Ireland - she emigrated from the Short Strand area of Belfast in 1967 and took her love of performing to the United States.
She started the McAleer School of Irish Dance in Wilmington, teaching generations of children and adults, and continues to coach five decades on.
A well-known Irish dance adjudicator, she also shares her knowledge of Irish history and culture with her students, whom she takes to the North American Irish Dance Championships and World Irish Dance Championships in Ireland.
In the lead-up to St Patrick's Day, Veronica was seen with her dancers performing in nursing homes, libraries and pubs throughout Delaware and had been looking forward to leading this year's parade, an event she has never missed.
"I went out on March 12 to surprise her, she hadn't a clue I was coming," said Ms Rushe.
"There was a pre-dinner arranged before the parade so I arrived in a leprechaun outfit and danced my way in before taking off the mask. She was absolutely delighted I was there.
"Eleanor, Veronica’s other sister, who is from Belfast, also had flown out and she was unaware I was going to be there too.
"But unfortunately we had to come home just after because of the coronavirus and the St Patrick's Day parade was cancelled.
"Veronica took very ill around March 18 and ended up in hospital, she had pneumonia and she was diagnosed with coronavirus.
"But she's a fighter - she's come through breast cancer, broken hips and still dances - so there was no way she wasn't going to fight it."
Veronica, a mother-of-two, was discharged from hospital last Tuesday.
And in a fitting tribute to a woman, regarded as a pillar of the Wilmington community, she was given a heroes welcome on her return from hospital as former and current students lined her route home to celebrate their teacher's recovery.
She told the Delaware News Journal of her delight at the home-coming.
"I can't believe it. I'm so happy that I pulled through because it was a tough one," she said.
"I feel like a million dollars. I've won Irish dancing championships, but when it comes to this, oh my God, I feel like jumping up and down."
