Audrey's Story :-

Audrey was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 21 months of age,  her mom was told she would go blind and have kidney failure by the time she reached 21. She had to go into a children's home at the age of 7 to learn to control her diabetes and her mom had to fight to get her back home.  Audrey and Lionel, her husband, met at work, and got engaged in 1975, and married on the 1st October 1977. They moved to Bristol, where she gave birth to her two daughters Cheryle in 1981 and Candice in 1983.  The family moved back to the midlands in 1987, where Audrey began working for Cearns and Brown, and then Cousins Furniture.  

Cheryle moved to Spain in 2004 and her mom made the most of this by visiting several times a year. In 2007, Audrey planned to visit Cheryle for the birth of her grandson Brandon, but blood tests showed that Audrey had kidney failure and was rushed into hospital with dangerously high potassium. Audrey went onto kidney dialysis but finally got to Spain where she met Brandon, her grandson who she absolutely adored.

In her last 7 years, Audrey became a medical marvel, suffering heart attacks, a stroke that was misdiagnosed as an aggressive brain tumour, and being told she had months to live.  Audrey was adamant that was not the case and after fighting for several months, got re diagnosed as a stroke.  

A broken leg, going onto haemodialysis, getting peritonitis, shingles, dangerously high ketones, sarcoidosis, TIA's, Osteoporosis and then heart failure - but that didn't stop her!  Her heart consultant hugged her at one appointment, and said to go home and enjoy the time you have left because your heart is working at 20% and there's no fix for that.

Audrey suffered a cardiac arrest in 2014, and was resuscitated thanks to Sally, whilst on dialysis. It took 20 minutes to bring her back - that still didn't stop her! Her willpower to keep fighting on amazed everyone.

Audrey made it to Spain one final time in September, against all odd's once again proving nothing held her back.  The NHS team arranged treatment in Spain and Audrey was so proud of what she had achieved, she even made plans to go next year.  Audrey's care from the home dialysis team was fantastic, everyone from Sue on reception, to the nurses that cared for her, many of them going well above and beyond their job description to help Audrey with all of her medical problems.

Sally - the best nurse we have ever met, Dawn - keeping everyone cheery, Bobby and Louise never giving up on Audrey, and and Jane - who came to Audrey's home on her last night and stayed until the early hours to ensure Audrey was comfortable until the last minute of her life.

Audrey was truly loved by her family and friends, adored by her devoted husband Lionel,  Daughters Cheryle and Candice.  She was everything to them.  Audrey's heart may have been working at 20% but in truth she had the biggest heart of all of us.

At 5pm on the 29th of October Audrey said, "I'm going now" and drifted into the most peaceful sleep we have seen her have in years.  Audrey passed peacefully in the arms of her husband and daughter at 11:11pm.  If there was a perfect passing, Audrey did it.

rest in peace #WarriorMom