Hi, I'm Joanna, a friend of the Lightowler family, and I'm raising funds for funeral costs and immediate living expenses for Katherine and Freya Lightowler after the sudden death of Craig Lightowler.

Craig was one of those special people who went through life in a quiet, unassuming manner, totally unaware of the impact he had on those who knew him. It is only now, after Katherine posted the news of his death on Facebook, that she is becoming aware of how much he did for other people. And just how many people knew him and loved him.

Craig made many of his friends through his interests, from Doctor Who to Red Dwarf, Ghostbusters to Laurel and Hardy. He was loyal, infinitely kind and a talented artist, but he always downplayed his skills. Quite honestly, there isn't a single bad thing to be said about him - even his propensity to continuously crack groan-inducing puns was endearing.

Craig and Katherine were a rare example of a genuinely happy couple. Not that there was never a cross word between them - indeed there was at times - but neither held onto anger or harboured resentment because at the centre of it all was real love and respect. When Freya came along, she became the centre of Craig's world, and he would have done anything for his family.

Craig's death has left Katherine and Freya adrift, not just because of the emotional impact of losing him, but because he was the wage earner of the family and carer to Katherine, who is disabled. I know that Katherine feels uncomfortable asking for money, but this is an awful, totally unexpected situation that has changed the family's circumstances overnight.

So, please, if you would like to, give what you can to make these next few weeks a little easier for Katherine and Freya. They have enough on their plates without having to worry about funeral costs and daily living expenses. Freya is also home-educated, which means that many of her lessons are to pay for.

Thank you so much.