In April 2018, my beautiful big sister went to bed one evening and never woke up. She received CPR at home and was rushed from the tiny village in Wales where we grew up to Worcester Intensive Care Unit. I received a phone call at 2.30am to say she was being transferred by land ambulance, as the weather was too severe for the air ambulance to land. I immediately got in my car from Northamptonshire and drove to meet my brother-in-law at the hospital in Worcester.

We stayed by her side from the 13th of April until the 18th of April, when doctors confirmed that her brain had been starved of oxygen and that she would not survive without the machines keeping her alive. On the 18th of April, at just 42 years old, those machines were switched off and we had to say our final goodbye. The hardest goodbye I have ever had to say..

Following her passing, a post-mortem was carried out and her heart and spleen were retained for genetic testing. Due to her age and the unexplained nature of her death, her heart was examined by one of the leading cardiologists in the country. It showed enlargement on the left-hand side, suggesting possible hypertension, despite her having no medical history of this. To this day, we still have no clear answers as to why she never woke up. She left behind three beautiful children, aged 9, 11, and 15 at the time. As a family, we now all undergo cardiology scans every three years due to the unexplained circumstances surrounding her death.

Since losing my sister, I have supported the British Heart Foundation in the hope that, in some small way, I can help other families avoid the heartbreak that hers experienced.

My sister always dreamed of walking up Snowdon but never had the opportunity. This year, I have decided to take on that challenge in her memory. I have been training for the past 4–5 months — and for those who know me, I am definitely not a natural mountain walker! I will be walking up Snowdon on 18th April, the anniversary of the day she left us. I am being joined by some amazing friends and family to complete this climb!

I am hoping to raise some money for the incredible British Heart Foundation, and any sponsorship — no matter how small — would be truly appreciated. Every penny raised helps fund vital research and support for families affected by heart disease.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story, and thank you in advance to anyone who is able to donate in memory of one truly amazing woman who I had the privilege to call my big sis!!

Much love to you all,

T x