A family has been left devastated after their daughter collapsed at the airport and died just days later. Melissa Kinsella, who was affectionately known as Missy by her loved ones, was on holiday in Turkey with her partner Jay Smith, his family and their three children, Chloe, nine, Beau, four, and Romi, two.
They were due to come back home on May 15 but Missy collapsed at Antalya Airport and was rushed to hospital. Doctors said the 30-year-old had had a heart attack and had some swelling on her brain and heart.
Nine days later on Wednesday, May 24 an air ambulance flew the mum-of-three to Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside. But tragically, on May 26, the family received the devastating news that she was clinically dead.
Her parents have paid tribute to their daughter, with mum Michelle Heathcote describing her as 'loving and smart'. Speaking to the Liverpool Echo she said: "She lived for her girls, she was hard working, had a dirty laugh and she was such a good mummy. She had so much love for those girls.
"She was very hard working doing beauty and hair, she was a little whizzkid with the colours. She was so clever, she actually went to uni three times, trained to be an accountant but then got pregnant, then trained in nursing and got pregnant again before going back to beauty."
The 51-year-old says the family are doing their best to stay strong for the children. "The babies don't know. We have just got some books from the hospital. One is asking 'is mummy still in the hospital' and is asking questions," she said.
She continued: "The nine-year-old is dealing with it, but we are expecting her to break. The two-year-old knows something isn't right because she hasn't seen her mummy in three weeks.
"We are going to take them away for a few days at the weekend to try and get away from it all. We, me and Steven and Melissa's boyfriend and in-laws are going to look after those girls.
"I promised Melissa I would look after them." The family said they now just want to lay Melissa to rest with a funeral "fit for a princess". They have already arranged a horse and carriage and a white casket ready for when they are given the go ahead from the coroner.
