Today again my heart was broken. Mum sadly left us to join you and dad. She put up such a fight but she knew she was coming to you. I did all I could for her and helped her through her illness for 3 years. She was broken hearted when you left us and she wasnt scared to come and join you. She passed peacefully in my arms as i was cuddling her. I told her it was ok to go to you and you would be waiting for her. I'm sure you know all this as she is probable sat with you now. She can tell you all the lovely stories about Siena when she was born and how much she loved her and all the girls. Mum is at peace now like you and dad and Nigel. My heart will never heal i find it so hard but i know one day i will be with you again. Love and miss you all xxxx

                                                             A Tribute to Mum

 
My Mum, Well you can see by the amount of people here today how loved mum was. Mum was the most loving, generous, inspirational and strongest women I have ever known. She had a heart of gold and was always there if someone needed help, if someone was unwell, if someone wanted a meal mum would be there to feed them.
Mums life wasn’t always easy. Like many other children during the war mum was evacuated to the uk.  She always told us the home she went to in Stockport in Manchester was lovely and they treated her well. She was always worried about her youngest sister Betty, who was also evacuated, and who went to a different family and wasn’t being treated as well as her. That always bothered my mum. Later Gran went with mum’s other siblings to Fenwick and took all the children back to live with her. After the war Gran brought all the family back to Guernsey. Where they all lived at No. 16 Vauvert.
Once back in Guernsey mum joined St John Ambulance cadets, and when she was older she became an auxiliary nurse at the town hospital. She loved caring for other people. Mum married dad in 1953 and in 1955 Julie was born and 3 years later I came along. For 4 years we lived at the Bouet and then we all moved to La Vrangue where we lived for many years. In those days we all made our own fun and all the kids on the estate were very close it was like having an extended family. Most of the kids on that estate are all still friends to this very day. I would often come home from school with a couple of friends saying they didn’t have much money and their mum couldn’t feed them, and mum would cook them meals before they went home. She was always ready to help someone in need. She was my inspiration and probably the reason I do what I do today. 
I have loads of memories of my early years and some of the loveliest times were spent on the beach. Mum would always go walking with auntie Betty and they would always end up at Grandes Rocques where we would all go swimming. All the family would meet up down there and have picnics. Another memory that sticks in my mind is the Battle of Flowers. There’s a big tree which is still standing today and the whole family, which was big at the time, would always meet at the tree and set up the picnic. If the kids wondered off you would always know where to find mum under the tree. What I do remember of those days was that we never paid to go in it was always over the fence, Kids, bags, pram the lot. We’d Never get away with that nowadays. 
 
 Mum has had a wonderful life not always happy but majority of the time she enjoyed what life was throwing her way. She worked at the Cotils care home where I often went after school to help feed the old people. She was always showing me the right values in life, and how to help other people less fortunate than us. After mum finished her care work she went to work at the bathing pools. She was the attendant at the ladies pool who never missed a thing.  In those days you had to pay to go in. I can tell you not many people managed to sneak in without paying, mum would always track them down. But if she knew you were from a poorer family, she would just turn a blind eye. That’s the sort of person she was. We grew up down the pools, that was our life. Straight after school down the pools some of the loveliest memories come from down there. We met so many amazing people. Mum was loved by everyone she came into contact with. She was always a strong woman and on a couple of occasions saved a couple of children by putting her own life at risk. She once tackled the gully between the ladies and children’s pool to rescue a young boy who had got into difficulties. It was really rough how she managed to save him I don’t know but it took some strength to get him out of there. Another time she managed to keep a young girls airway open until the ambulance arrived, she had been stung on the tongue by a bee and was struggling to breathe. She was my hero. When mum finished working down the pools she was taken on as health suite manager at the new Beau Sejour.  She worked there for many many years and worked with some lovely people. Mum always said she would like to write a book about some of the things that went on in her sauna, I bet some people are glad she never got around to it. 
Mum and dad always loved a game of bingo and were members of a few clubs. Even running their own bingo up at the Arsenal near the (fire station) for a number of years. Mum retired when dad got ill and she spent a long time looking after him. Once dad passed away mum started enjoying her retirement. It was this extreme activity, bingo, that nearly cost mum her leg. Mum had a bad accident at bingo and shattered her leg she was on crutches for two years the dr’s said she would lose her leg but she pulled off a miraculous recovery and managed to avoid this. Once recovered mum moved to live next door to Julie.
She often helped out with my charity and on one occasion when we were collecting blankets and tents for the Indian earthquake she got up in the lorry at Safeways to help pack them up. It was this that probably saved her life as she had a few chest pains and after check ups had to undergo a triple by-pass. If this hadn’t have happened she may well have had a heart attack. Again she survived this and continued to enjoy her life.
Mum went on a few holidays with Julie and I, she also went on cruises, which she loved, she also went to Florida where we had so many laughs. Mum was talked into going to see Take That which she actually loved. In more recent years she went to see Aindre Rieu. She was a big lover of music. Although couldn’t quite get it right who she was going to see. She used to get a little mixed up, in fact she told everyone she was going to see Ed Sheerin which we all got excited about, in actual fact it was Aindre Reece-Sheerin here in Guernsey. We did laugh. She did love your concert though Aindre. Mum was also a big Liverpool fan and knew more about football than me. She knew all the footballers names.
Once again mum was there to help when I brought over some young lads from Sri Lanka so they could work. mum made room in her house for them to live until they’d found their feet and could move to other accommodation. They lived with her for almost a year.
In 2012 tragedy struck when my sister Julie lost her battle with cancer. This hit us all really hard and Mum was devastated and found it very hard to accept losing her daughter. She remained strong though and looked out for Julies children Rebecca Martyn and James. And her great grand-children.
She was fortunate enough to see all 3 grandchildren marry and she met all of her 5 great grandchildren who she adored.
Mum moved to Nouvelle Maritaine 4 years ago and made many friends. She enjoyed her bingo on a Monday and attended a lot of the functions that were held down there. Over the last 3 years mum has been unfortunate to be struck by a number of illnesses. She was diagnosed 2 years ago with Myeloma (bone marrow cancer) Dr’s told me 2 years ago mum wouldn’t make the night but again and again she proved them wrong and kept bouncing back she was such a strong woman with a will to live. She never ever complained of pain although I’m sure she must’ve had some, but just wouldn’t worry me. About 8 months ago mum was taken off the roads she could never understand why and after coming out the dr’s after her eye check up she told me “that dr doesn’t know what he’s on about” she said “I can see”. I said to her if you can see what is the registration on that car over there, and she replied “what car”. I said there you go that proves he’s right then. Mum must be the only person I know that takes her car to the assessment centre to get an insurance quote and after getting into her car promptly reverses into another car causing even more damage.
More recently Mum had a minor fall and had a very small bleed on her brain which went unnoticed as no one knew she had hit her head. She got very confused which flagged up warning bells to me and again she was admitted to hospital. She was treated and although her confusion got a lot better she remained in a critical condition which was due to the progression of her myeloma. Whilst speaking to mum, she said she still wants all the family to enjoy Christmas and everyone to have a lovely Christmas she even told me what to write in her Christmas cards.
Mum remained in hospital and her fight continued and although I promised her I would bring her back to her flat she never made it. She passed away quietly in my arms on 10thDec 3 days before her 86thbirthday. Nell was also there with us.
 
Mum received the best care in A & E and on Carey ward and our family can’t thank the ambulance crews, nurses, Dr Gomes and Dr Matthews and all the other doctors enough. Whilst at Nouvelle mum had the most attentive and kind carers who she loved, I know she moaned sometimes, but she loved you all. Nouvelle staff I can’t thank you all enough for the way you all looked after mum she was so happy down there and I know she will be missed so much by some of the residents that she made friends with. I’m not sure how I will manage without mum but she has shown me how to be strong and I know that she will walk with me and remain in my heart for the rest of my days. I love you so much mum and I’m going to miss you.  Please R.I.P don’t worry I will look after the kids.