A mum sent her daughter a heart emoji in her final text before she was found dead in her bed. The heartbroken family of Maxine Browne, 54, are still waiting to find out what caused her death just weeks before Christmas.
Maxine's body was found in her bed at home in Smallthorne, near Stoke-on-Trent, on December 10, after concerns were raised when she had not been heard from in three days. Staffordshire Police smashed their way into her home and tragically found her body, StokeonTrentLive reports.
The grandmother leaves behind two daughters, Taniqa, 28, and Terri-Anne, 35, as well as two grandchildren, Harvey, 10 and Nevaeh, two. Taniqa was the last person to have contact with Maxine when the pair exchanged texts, with Maxine replying with a heart emoji in her final message.
Heartbroken Taniqa said she already knew her mum was gone when police were forcing in the door to her home. The siblings have been left wondering what took their beloved mother away from them because although she had some minor health conditions, Taniqa said she "wasn't ill enough to die".
Taniqa has shared a heartwarming tribute to her mum, who she described as a "character" with an "infectious laugh". She was "extremely bubbly" and people have been reaching out to the grieving family to share their memories of Maxine which has brought them comfort.
Reliving the devastating moment her mum's body was found, Taniqa said: "When I knew that the police were smashing the door down, I knew then that she’d gone. She was peacefully asleep in bed. No struggle, no sign of her knowing, no sign of anything. The last time she spoke she was absolutely fine.
“My sister was already on the way. When she arrived, she could hear me in hysterics, it was confirmed before she’d gone upstairs. The smell was the same as our mum’s mum, when she passed away. The eerie feeling, the dread, was just confirmed. We were both with each other, we could console each other.
“We’ve got a lot to find out about how she was. She had ailments but she wasn’t ill enough to die. They were just little ailments and she was getting back on her feet. She’d prepared everything to go to work the next day. We can’t put anything to it.”
Maxine grew up in Abbey Hulton with five siblings and attended St Peter’s High School. She cared for her mum Beryl Browne before working with Changes, Hope Street Homeless Centre, Guardian Care, the Salvation Army, and Brighter Futures to help people fighting addictions, homelessness and mental health issues.
Taniqa added: “My mum had very good relationships with the people of Stoke-on-Trent. She was a character, she had an infectious laugh. The main thing that people will remember her by is that she called everybody ‘Pij’.
“She was very straight up, she wouldn’t take no rubbish and you always knew where you stood with her. Imagine dealing with people with a vulnerable background. You have to have a certain way about you to have people accept that help. She was able to relate to all of these people in her own special way.”
She said: “Music and her grandkids is what she lived for. My son is an aspiring rapper. She had attended every single one of his performances, she’s been his biggest fan.
“It has been eye-opening since she’s passed. People are reaching out and saying where they remember her from, memories that we didn’t know. She definitely loved to dance and was in the party scene. Golden was the last place she went to, the old school people used to go to Golden, she was going even to her end.
“She was extremely bubbly, her presence was always known, you don’t meet her then forget meeting her. When she was laughing, she’d slap you on the arm, she’d make you feel relaxed. She was the bread and butter of the whole family. She is just unlike any other.”
