Stefs story

By Bassam Mahfouz

Loveable, funny, witty, charismatic, beautiful, brave and caring. Stef was an amazing colleague and friend that lit up our days with her smile, charm and good humour. You always knew when Stef was in the room (or coming around the corner… she was very loud!). Whenever a colleague had a day to celebrate, Stef would be leading the organisation of making sure that day was extra special, full of love and fun. After five minutes of knowing Stef, she would have etched her way into your heart.

Stef started her most recent role with A2Dominion as our Enterprise Co-ordinator in the summer of 2016 and made an impression from the start recruiting budding entrepreneurs before working alongside them. They all built a relationship with Stef that they will remember for the rest of their lives, because of her magnetic personality: so engaging and supportive. People who started off as strangers left that programme having made a friend in Stef, someone who could build relationships and trust so easily. Stef was always grateful for the chance to do the role, a real opportunity to shine and show what she was truly capable of and she did so in bucket loads. When choosing Stef for the role, she stood out as being special.

Over the past few months, after being diagnosed with cancer, many of us have got to know Stef’s family, her amazing parents in particular. Within seconds, you instantly feel at home when you walked through their door. They welcome you with open hearts and you feel as if you’re part of the family. Watching her brave mum fight cancer made Stef the courageous woman she was.

Whilst there are many that can have the honour of calling Stef a friend, and she was a great friend to so many people, her number one priority was always her two beautiful daughters. Stef cared so much for them, she talked about they were the making of her and that they changed her life forever but in the best, most beautiful way. She always taught them to be courageous and kind and always told them how much she loved them.

Our hearts are broken at the loss of a truly beautiful friend, colleague and most importantly mother. We started this collection for her 35th birthday, which she celebrated just days before she left us, but towards the end, she would talk most about ensuring her girls would be ok. Whilst they have lost their mother, she lives on through them and we would like to collect to ensure they can have as bright a future as possible.