Yvonne Ambrose-Rourke

Hi, I don’t really know where to start…. My world came to a stop when I received a phone call yesterday afternoon. I was told by my baby brother our mum had been found passed away in her sleep.

All are questions are why, how?….If anyone knows my mum you will know just how much she has been through in the last 6 years. But if you’re new I’ll share alittle so you know just how strong she really was.

In 2017, hers and our families lives changed forever… she had to have a leg amputated due to a blood clot. She then developed a skin eating disorder which wouldn’t heal the wound causing more infections. Surgery was needed again to remove more of her stump because where they had removed become dead and no chance of recovery. After her second surgery, we hoped and prayed that this time around things would heal but they didn’t. At this point my mum became very sick and developed a lot more problems. We all as a family got told to go in have had a meeting with the surgeons to discuss the next step as things weren’t going to plan. They decided to give it one last chance at amputation however, to remove anymore they would have to take away half her bum, including her hip, and give her a skin graft to try and help the healing process. While she was under they also gave her a colostomy which in terms was a stoma bag because where they were amputating, she wouldn’t be able to use the toilet. The odds on her surviving this operation were very low and we were told to prepare for the worst. She was shard all over the world, even china for a specialists opinion on her current conditions. they alll didn’t think she was going to survive, her body was so so weak.

After a couple days after the surgery she done it!!! The skin was healing perfectly. We was finally on the road to recovery.

THEN I remember going to visit her one day after attending my first year in university and when I walKed in the room I could smell something odd. I checked and found that the wound was all infected. We asked the nurses to check and it was. So now we were back to the first stage. She had to have drips inserted into the wound to help draw out the infection.

Then we had a phone call telling us she had tested positive for MRSA and had to be moved. At this point we didn’t ever think she was going to make it and was called in by doctors again to prepare for the worst.

However she fought so hard and again she absolutely smashed it.

Then we had more news to tell us she had developed sepsis, she was honestly the bravest human I have ever possibly witnessed with my own eyes. As you can imagine this had such a huge impact on the family but also for my mum.

After even more complications after complications and nearly 1.5 year’s in the hospital, we finally had a conversation about getting our mum home just with nurses giving her everyday care.

However she couldn’t come home without the house being adapted. The wait for this was over 6months. We asked if we were to pay for the adaptations to the house ourselves would she be able to come home earlier? The answer was yes!

So us all wanting her home as quick as possible myself and her oldest son payed £2000 to buy her a ramp for outside the house. Then all we had to wait for was the home delivery of her hospital bed and afew other little things she would need along the way!! After a couple of days it was delivered!!! She could come home!!!!!

It took her about 5 years to get herself back on track, she had a prosthetic cast made which we didn’t think she would ever be able to wear due to her having no hip, but they figured a way to give her one, which fit snugly around her bottom. She was doing so so well.

Although she had afew hiccups during the road including bed sore’s and more underlying problems she was back being our mum, very slowly but we got her back.

We then had a passing of her nan, our great nan in February this year which hit her hard. But she was even more determined to prove to our nan she could do this! She was trying so hard.

Then in June, she had surgery to remove her stoma because she developed a hernia which was growing so big it was causing an obstruction for her to use the toilet through her stoma bag aswell as to move around and use her prosthetic. It was huge!! However, while they would perform this operation they decided to removed as much as the hernia as possible. she was over the moon about the operation because she would have her independence back which is what she wanted.

However that operation came with a low servival rate as she had a blood disorder and also the skin disease so they were worried that it would cause more problems and didn’t know how her body would respond.

She took the challenge on, after some family members didn’t want her to have the operation, she wanted to take the chance to better herlself. And again after now 6 years she done it. Another huge milestone. We were all so proud of her.

THEN she developed abscess where she had the operation, another process of ups and downs. More procedures, more medication, another hiccup for her to get over.

after months of home nurses coming out to dress and pack the wounds, she got discharged the last week in October.

She was over the moon, she said she felt like she was getting back on track and she couldn’t wait to start walking again.

November 3rd she was peacefully sleeping.

Our mum: Yvonne was only 44, she’s left behind her husband John. Her 4 children, 2 step children, 5 grandchildren and her mum.

She also had her own angel Louise waiting for her who she lost at only 6hours old due to a premature birth.

Mum after everything you’ve worked so hard for I’m so so sorry. I’m sorry that things had to end like this but you’re out of pain now and you’re free. You back with your baby and nan and everyone else who was waiting for you at those gates. We are all so incredibly proud of you and how strong you really was.

You were loved more than you’ll ever know and you’ll be missed by so many.

I’ve send up this go fund me page to help give my mum the best send off she deserves but to also help my dad and the children. Anything helps, and every last penny will be extremely appreciated. Thank you.

Rest in Peace mum. We love you