As houses across the land switch on their Christmas tree, hang decorations and squabble over Quality Street, life looks a little bit different for one family this year.
The festive month feels distinctively different this year - after their “rock” mum-of-five Ellen Louise Francis died from brain cancer, six days after a terminal diagnosis, aged 35 - on her daughter Donna Marie’s birthday.
The heart wrenching loss has left the family bracing for their first Christmas without her - but there are flickers of fear after funeral costs decimated the family's savings.
Ellen first found a lump on her breast in March 2022 which doctors swiftly confirmed was breast cancer. After a bout of intensive chemotherapy and six months of treatment, she was assured she was on the mend.
After she started suffering headaches, she was diagnosed with brain cancer - but doctors believed it was treatable - before a swift u-turn saw her diagnosed with terminal brain cancer the next day.
Just six days later, the 35-year old-tragically died in her sleep at her mum's home despite being given an estimated three to six months prognosis.
Her death has left her young family reeling and was made even tougher as she died on her mum's wedding anniversary and her daughter Donna-Marie's 12th birthday.
Ellen's mum Lou told The Mirror: "To tell a little girl the day before her birthday that her mummy is coming home. She replied 'Yes, mummy's home for my birthday'!
“But I had to tell her 'Donna, mummy is gonna pass away.'”
The 59-year-old looks after the five children now with help from their father and other family members.
"That little girl's birthday cards were coming through the door but she didn’t open them for two weeks because she wanted to spend all the time with mum," added Lou.
Donna, 12, shunned any birthday celebrations for herself as just wanted to "give mummy what she wanted" for her send off.
Ellen had planned her funeral in full - with the help of eldest daughter Ellie, 17, who she had secretly shared a wish list with. The teenager was exceptionally close to her mum, who used to film TikTok dances with her, and even put her own money forward to help pay for the funeral.
The funeral has set the family back £12,000 and included a pink casket for Ellen who was buried in her wedding dress, prompting her youngest children to remark that she looked "like a princess". With the funeral so close to Christmas, this has cleaned out the funds to buy presents and make the festive season special.
Now Ellen’s sister Sylvie, 39, has set up a Go Fund Me to try and help the family's finances over Christmas as this was such an important time for her sister.
She described her sibling as "bubbly" and a "real party animal" and adding that she "was just the best really, couldn't have asked for a better sister.
"She'd do anything for her kids. Her kids were her life."
"Christmas for [Ellen] - she loved it. She was more excited than the kids!" Lou reminisced.
"She used to start early and she'd say to the children 'What would you like if Santa can get it for you?' And by God that girl, Ellen would go without to get the children what they wanted."
For Ellen's favourite time of year, the mum of five would stay at Lou's house in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, with the kids and wake them up super early - unable to resist sharing the presents she had so carefully chosen. Each gift was perfectly wrapped with unique paper and finished with decorations to make them extra special.
The 35-year-old would rush outside to watch Santa's sleigh drive past their street every year, no matter what the weather , and take the five children outside to meet Father Christmas.
Decorating the tree was also a delight for Ellen who loved to decorate with candy canes, Lou added: "I can remember about three weeks before Ellen passed away she was in hospital and she said there's a parcel coming for you but don't open it until December.
“When I looked it was the candy canes that she bought for the tree and oh honestly I cried."
Lou was incredibly close to her daughter who had been her "rock" during her own cancer treatment 13 years ago.
She broke into tears as she told The Mirror: "I did say this to my daughter because I loved her so much. I said to Ellen, if you want to go, go darling and you know what she did go. She was waiting for me to tell her to go."
Christmas fan, Ellen had also already started buying presents for her much-loved children before her death, so they will have a few final gifts from their mum to open on Christmas day. "Ellen always said Christmas is the best time to see those babies' faces," Lou shared.
This year, the older children have been offering to go without gifts to make sure their younger siblings get what they have asked for. Ellie told her nan not to bother getting her a gift as she knows money is tight after the funeral.
The 17-year-old had asked for a new phone before her mum passed but has since changed her mind and doesn't want anything. Donna also needs a new phone as hers is "on the way out" and previously had requested a TV in her room but keeps telling Lou not to worry about her presents this year.
As many of Ellen's children are young, Lou is hoping to keep the truth about Santa hidden and their Christmas spirit alive despite the heartbreaking circumstances. Lou is particularly worried about seven-year-old Romeo, who has special needs and said to Lou: "I'm not gonna get loads because mommy's not here, is she nanny" to which she promised to do her best.
Lou and the rest of the family are trying to manage the children's expectations without ruining their innocence and love of Christmas, since it was their mum's favourite time of year. Although Lou believes "things will be better" next year as "everyone is under pressure" at the moment, she wants to ease the pain of her grandchildren's first Christmas without their mum with some normality.
"Ellen knows in her heart, I'll do my best to get these children something so that they can have a good Christmas and that's all. It's about those children and I'm gonna try my best to do it," said Lou.
Anyone wanting to donate to the family's GoFundMe can do so here: A special Christmas for Ellen’s five children
