Tributes to young Shirley woman after she dies unexpectedly in her sleep

By Anna Edwards

anna.edwards@essnmedia.co.uk

A couple have paid an emotional tribute to their "inspirational" daughter, who unexpectedly died in her sleep after battling a lifelong heart condition.

Amy Clarke, from Shirley Park Road, Shirley, was only 25 when she passed away peacefully on March 26 after spending the evening watching television with her family.

Although the former dental nurse had been born with a heart defect her death came out of blue.

Dad Terry said: "The day before she had a bit of a stomach upset, then on the day she had been lying down.

"She got up in the evening, was watching TV with us, went to bed as normal and passed away in the night."

Amy was effectively born with less than half a heart, having two chambers instead of four and one valve instead of four.

Major operations were needed to help the heart pump blood around her body, but parents Terry and Sue say she refused to let her illness hold her back.

"She did her best to lead a normal life, that's why people admired her," Mr Clarke said.

"She never let this condition stop her. Her skin and lips would sometimes go a bit blue, or she would get very breathless, but she persevered.

"She was very independent and was a hard worker, she had to give up her job because the long periods of standing gave her leg problems, but her ambition was to get back to work."

Amy had her first heart operation when she was just four days old, and underwent constant check-ups and pioneering surgery for the rest of her life.

Her family didn't expect Amy to survive the first operation, but that doesn't make their pain now any easier to bear.

"It would be hard not to feel sorry for yourself, but Amy never really did that, she refused to act like, or be treated as, an invalid," Mr Clarke said.

"I think people are acknowledging that spirit she had, we have been staggered and humbled by the number of tributes - we had no idea about the impact she had on other people.

"We love her so much and we knew what affect she had on us, and we wish she'd known what impact she had on others, we never appreciated how much she was valued by other people.

"People seemed to admire her for her courage, and she seems to have inspired a lot of people."

Amy's younger brothers Richard, 23, and Chris, 21, were very close to their sister, and Mr Clarke says they were terribly shaken up by her death.

He said: "They were like any other brothers and sisters, squabbling as children, but they were very protective of each other.

"Amy was not given special treatment, we like to think we gave her an ordinary life, which is what she wanted."

Amy's funeral was held on Tuesday at St Mary Magdalene Church, in Addiscombe, and Mr Clarke says the family is still coming to terms with her sudden death.

He said: "It took us by surprise. There had been no signs.

"We miss her so much, she was a compassionate girl with a great sense of humour.

"We wouldn't change her for the world."