My date with Prince Harry
The amazing teenager, who has raised nearly £50,000 for others despite being severely ill, spent 90 minutes with the prince.
She was given the royal treatment at Clarence House after being invited for a private meeting with Harry, along with mum Jackie and helper Nikki Groom.
He held Nicole's hand during the visit – which over-ran by an hour – as she told her story of how she was hit by cancer of the spine at 11 and, after a brain haemorrhage, is now blind, deaf and paralysed.
"Meeting Prince Harry was amazing," said Nicole, 19, of St Mary's Grove, Seasalter, Whitstable.
"He was so lovely and down to earth and it was great just chatting to him.
"I got to spend an hour and a half with him and have some lovely photos of us for my memory book."
And mum Jackie was still on cloud nine this week.
"It was an incredible day," she said.
"We were allowed to park in Clarence House, close to where William and Harry park their cars.
"Our meeting was set for 5.30pm and he met us a couple of minutes before then… and didn't leave till 7pm.
"At 6pm this grand clock chimed and Harry looked around at it. I thought he was going to say it's time to go, but instead he just said, 'I've never seen that before.'
"He and Nicole got on famously – although she was nervous and very quiet at first. But once we told her we were all laughing and that Harry was asking lots of questions, she relaxed and started to ask some cheeky questions, as she does.
"But he was perfectly happy to answer them and he was very moved by what she had to tell him about herself.
"Harry was lovely, very down-to-earth and interested in what Nicole had to say. He was amazed at her charity work.
"Nicole told him she had not seen pictures of him since she went blind six years ago, so he described himself to her.
"It was a lovely, special day for Nicole. When we got in the car, we were ushered out through a gate which is normally only used by the royals, because Prince Harry said it would be easier for us.
"And Nicole kept asking: 'Are we out of the palace yet?' And when I said we were, she just screamed, and we all joined in!
"Nicole said, 'I am the only one to have had tea with Prince Harry tonight."
The visit was arranged after Nicole had told a meeting of UK Rotary Clubs in Blackpool about her wish list of things to do in life.
Among those was to meet Prince Harry because "he's a bit of a rebel."
The meeting was broadcast on BBC TV and they sent footage to Clarence House who were so impressed they invited Nicole to meet Harry.
Now Nicole has just four wishes to complete: be in an advert, be an extra in Coronation Street, do a skydive and walk in a pair of pink high heels.
Earlier this month the Whitstable Times told how the Dryburghs were living on just £8 a week and could not afford to replace their kettle.
Now a local shop has stepped in to help the family.
Londis, in Faversham Road, Seasalter, raises cash by the sale of their 10p and 5p carrier bags and will donate that money to the Dryburghs and to the family of Reece Puddington, of Freemans Close.
The five-year-old boy is suffering from rare cancer Neuroblastoma and has a 40 per cent chance of living.
Ann Hudson, who runs Londis with son Paul, were so moved by our story on Nicole they contacted us with their offer of help.
"It is an unbelievable gesture and such a lovely thing to do," said Jackie this week.
"We are so grateful to everyone at the shop and the customers for their kindness."
And Ann said: "My husband Frank died from cancer aged 49 and I guess it's always on my mind.
"But we could not survive without our customers and the local community so we wanted to out something back. Paul saw Nicole's story and said we had to do something.
"We already have a collection box for Reece so it was nice to get in touch with Nicole and Jackie through the Times."
Ann and Paul have this week pledged to give £750 each to the Dryburghs and the Puddingtons.
"This will help for when Nicole has a hospital appointment in London next month, and pay for the petrol, parking and something to eat," explained Jackie.
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