Carrigan Nelson came home to Aquidneck Island on New Year’s Eve, escorted by police and first responders in a quiet, deeply moving tribute to a young woman whose courage and kindness left a lasting mark on our community.
Carrigan, 24, died on Christmas Day at Boston Children’s Hospital after a seven-year fight with osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer. Diagnosed in 2019, she endured repeated surgeries and setbacks, yet continued to sing, advocate for pediatric cancer patients and lift up others facing serious illness.
On New Year’s Eve, a multi-agency procession brought Carrigan home from Boston. Massachusetts State Police escorted her to the Rhode Island state line, where police, fire and rescue departments from across Aquidneck Island joined to guide her to Memorial Funeral Home.
“Carrigan had a police escort to her island home from Boston Children’s Hospital. Just incredible,” her mother, Tammy, wrote on social media. “Our beautiful angel passed on Christmas Day and is coming home on New Year’s Eve. We will always celebrate her memory but particularly this time of year — in the spirit of Christmas as the lights twinkle and the New Year is ushering in.”
Carrigan remained in Boston after her death so doctors could perform an autopsy to advance cancer research. Her mother said it was a decision Carrigan made willingly, rooted in her belief in helping others. “She was a firm believer in furthering science,” Tammy wrote. “It was her final gift in fighting for a cure.” Carrigan also donated her corneas, with the hope, her family said, “that someone sees the world through her eyes again.”
Just one week before her death, Carrigan sang with Santa Claus at the hospital — a moment her mother described as unforgettable. Despite having only a portion of one lung able to move air, Carrigan’s voice filled the room. “She told him it was going to be her last Christmas,” Tammy wrote. Santa replied that he usually visits children to ask them to be more like Santa, “but that she already was doing good deeds and treating people with kindness and compassion.”
Carrigan was clear about how she wanted her story told. Her mother said she wanted everyone to know that she did not lose her battle with cancer. Instead, she won by “staying true to herself, remaining strong and committed to her advocacy work, and to her family, friends, and community.”
A Celebration of Life and benefit concert is scheduled for Feb. 1 at the Wyndham Newport Hotel in Middletown, from 1:30 to 5 p.m. At Carrigan’s request, it will take the place of a traditional funeral. The event will help establish a scholarship in her memory for young students of music and the arts and will support numerous charitable organizations that mattered deeply to her, including pediatric cancer foundations, local food and housing nonprofits, animal welfare groups and veterans’ organizations.
Carrigan asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations or acts of compassion be directed to organizations and causes that reflected her values, advocacy work, and love for others:
-
The Housing Hotline
-
Strong Little Souls Childhood Cancer Foundation
-
The Potter League for Animals
-
Aquidneck Food Pantry
-
The Jimmy Fund
-
The Tomorrow Fund
-
The Izzy Foundation
-
The Hero Package Foundation
-
MIB Agents
-
The 3 Angels Fund
-
The Viking Riders
-
Arms Wide Open
-
United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation
-
Riverstock Music Festival
-
Aquidneck Island Charity Golf Tournament
-
Cornhole for a Cause
-
Rosemary’s Wish Kids
-
Boston Children’s Hospital
-
Disabled American Veterans Honor Guard
As 2026 begins, Tammy wrote that the family’s hearts are broken but filled with gratitude — for the 24 years they shared with Carrigan, for the medical teams who worked tirelessly alongside her, and for the community that never stopped showing up.
“Our focus now turns to creating a Celebration of Life … that is every bit as bright and colorful as our angel’s life,” she wrote, adding a message to those who lined the streets or watched from afar: “We saw you. Each and every one of you.”
Like Newport Buzz? We depend on the generosity of readers like you who support us, to help with our mission to keep you informed and entertained with local, independent news and content. We truly appreciate your trust and support!
