Emma McGinty: Family launch GoFundMe to pay for funeral of mum who 'brought warmth and laughter' but died suddenly at 43
A devoted mum of seven died after collapsing from a stroke - as she stood up to put her youngest children to bed.
Emma McGinty was just 43 when she passed away earlier this month. She collapsed while heading upstairs, saying that her sight had gone.
She was taken to hospital after the incident with a suspected stroke, said her daughter Nicole, 23, and it was found that she had a blood clot in her carotid artery which had travelled to her brain, causing a massive stroke on her left side. This was on November 3, and Emma fought on for two more days, but succumbed on November 5, with her three eldest children by her side.
As well as Nicole, Emma was mum to Zoe, 21, Naomi, 20, Andrew, 15, Leon, four, and three year-olds Kai and Zaria.
On the page, she wrote: “Mum was truly one of a kind - loving, kind and selfless, beautiful inside and out. She had a heart so big it touched everyone around her, and a laugh that could fill a room with warmth. She was the type of person who made everyone feel safe and loved. Even when she was hurting, she always found the strength to smile, to comfort others, and to put everyone before herself.
“She was a devoted mum and a proud gran to Kade and Mason. Her children were her entire world. She loved them fiercely and unconditionally, and they were her reason to smile every single day.
“Emma was also a loving daughter, sister and partner, someone who cared deeply for her family and loved with her whole heart. She brought warmth and laughter wherever she went, and her presence could brighten even the darkest days. She had a way of making people feel seen, loved and understood, and she will be missed by everyone lucky enough to have known her.”
Describing her as “the strongest woman we’ve ever known”, Nicole said that Emma, from Livingston, West Lothian, had had rheumatoid arthritis since she was 19, which meant she had “constant pain most could never imagine”.
“But even through all her struggles, she never lost her strength, her humour or her love for life,” she added. “She was a true fighter, strong, brave and full of light. The family is at peace knowing that Emma will no longer have to suffer from pain, and that she will live on through her beautiful children, where her memory will never be forgotten.”
The family is asking for help towards funeral costs, so Emma can have “the beautiful send-off she deserves. One filled with love, light and the same warmth she gave to everyone around her. This is something we never thought we’d be doing so soon, and any help, no matter how small, means the world to us.”