My name is Gareth, and I am Hayley’s brother. I have set up this GoFundMe on behalf of our family to help raise funds towards Hayley’s funeral, wake and the costs involved in giving her the beautiful and respectful send-off she deserves.

Our sister Hayley was tragically taken from us far too soon, in circumstances no family should ever have to face. Her life was cruelly taken from her, and we are still trying to process the shock and sadness of losing her at such a young age.

Hayley was a daughter, sister, granddaughter and auntie, and she will be remembered by those who knew and loved her in many different ways. She had a gentle and caring nature, a big personality and a heart of gold. She was always willing to help others, and there was certainly only one Hayley.

There were so many things that made Hayley who she was. She loved attending Pride and everything it represented — love, acceptance, happiness and being proud of who you are. She enjoyed colouring and being creative, which brought her comfort and happiness. And, of course, there was her beloved little dachshund, Dotty. Hayley absolutely adored her, and Dotty was a very special part of her life.

Nothing could ever have prepared us for Hayley’s life ending at such a young age and in such heartbreaking circumstances. There should have been so many more years ahead of her, more experiences to enjoy and so many more memories still to be made.

We have created this GoFundMe to help towards the cost of Hayley’s funeral, wake and the other expenses involved in giving her the beautiful send-off she deserves. At an already incredibly difficult and emotional time, we want to be able to give Hayley a farewell that celebrates her life and reflects the person she was.

Every donation, no matter how big or small, will help towards giving Hayley the send-off she deserves and will be received with more gratitude than we can express. We completely understand that not everyone will be in a position to donate, so even sharing this page with friends, family or your wider community would mean so much.

We hope Hayley’s farewell will bring together the people whose lives she touched and give everyone the opportunity to remember her in their own way — to share stories, memories and moments that remind us of the person Hayley was.

Although the circumstances in which we lost her will always be incredibly difficult to comprehend, we don’t want those circumstances to define her. We want Hayley to be remembered for who she was, the things she loved, the memories she created and the life she should have had so much more time to live.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who has reached out, sent kind words, shared memories of Hayley, donated or shared this page. The kindness and support shown during such a difficult time is sincerely appreciated.

Hayley, your life has been taken far too soon. There were still so many years ahead of you and so many chapters of your story that should have been written.

We will remember your personality, your interests, the things that made you smile and all those little things that simply made you Hayley.