How Shorty St star Helena McAlpine's daughter Shannon keeps her memory alive 28 Jan, 2021 06:00 PM 6 minutes to read Shannon says her mum Helena's friends have become like surrogate mums to her. Photo / Tony Nyberg Other By: Leena Tailor Just over five years on from Helena McAlpine's death, her daughter Shannon and bestie Shavaughn Ruakere still think about her and grieve for her daily, and though talking about the wacky, fun-loving TV and radio star may be painful, they both agree it's the best therapy. "She was a ridiculous person, in the best sense," the former Shortland Street actress says of her BFF, who died in 2015, at just 37, after a six-year battle with breast cancer. "Definitely my most embarrassing friend! I miss her zest for life."