A family have been left heartbroken after a mum died suddenly two days after she got engaged. Kirsty Cracknell's death on December 11, two days before her 31st birthday, is currently being treated as unexplained.
Kirsty died shortly after returning to her home in Hull. Her brother Craig has spoken about the impact of her loss on the family.
Hull Live reported Craig as saying: “It caught everybody by surprise. It’s very difficult, the unexpected, and we as a family have always maintained the mantra of no parent should ever have to bury a child.
“With that in mind, it’s very difficult. Everyone’s sort of plodding on in their own way but nobody is like what they were before.”
Craig said it was “very poignant” having to spend Christmas without Kirsty.
Paying tribute to Kirsty, he added: “She was just an unreal person. She was very strong-willed. She was very strong-minded and outgoing and loved life. She had so many friends.
“She was working for a care company and she had done that for as long as I can remember. She just had that caring nature.
“She was gentle and kind but she was also strong and wouldn’t be walked all over. She loved to be out there doing different things and she was never sat still really.
“She was a go-getter and she pushed forward with everything. No matter what, she just continued to move forward.
“Kirsty was very much a daddy's girl and doted on him so much. Kirsty loved and was loved by so many people.”
Rich Anderson, a family friend, set up a fundraiser on Go Fund Me to help with the funeral costs after Kirsty's unexpected death. He set a target of £2,000, which has been reached.
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Rich said: “When it all happened I had a quick look at how much it is for a bog standard funeral and it was about £1,800-£2,000 so I set the £2,000 target. We hit that and anything else on top of that we’re going to put away for Kirsty’s son for when he’s older or to make the funeral a bit better than just basic.”
Speaking about Kirsty’s son, he added: “He’s only five so he doesn’t know what’s happening too much. He knows his mum is gone.
“He knows his mum is a star in the sky. He seems in good spirits.”
Rich said that Kirsty had a "real witty sense of humour" and she was "really funny". Kirsty also loved rugby and used to play the sport herself.
The arrangements for Kirsty’s funeral are still ongoing. People can continue to support her family and her five-year-old son through the Go Fund Me page.
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