Teen's tribute to South Shields mum who could "light up any room" after her tragic death aged 46

South Shields mum Jayne Marshall died on on Monday, September 28, at Sunderland Royal Hospital after battling liver cirrhosis and pneumonia.

Her son, Brian Marshall, 19, said that his mum could ‘light up any room’ and was always there for people, despite her illness.

He said: “She was so caring and had a character about her where she could pick anyone up who was feeling a bit down.

"She would always light up any room that she was in and even though she was ill for years, she never let it affect her or those she cared about.”

Jayne, originally from Durham, was cared for at both South Tyneside Hospital and Sunderland Royal.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic,Brian and Jayne’s family weren’t able to visit her in hospital until she was close to the end of her life.

Brian said: "I want to say thank you to all the doctors and nurses who not only looked after my mam but also made us feel welcome, especially during the last hours of her life.

"Due to coronavirus, we were unable to see her but when it was apparent that she didn’t have long left, they ensured we were all there so she didn’t die alone. I can’t thank them enough.”

Now Brian is set to undertake the coast-to-coast challenge at the end of the month, cycling from South Shields to Whitehaven and back over four days – covering around 300 miles in the process to fundraise for the trust.

The teenager said: “I got into cycling during lockdown and I wanted to do the coast-to-coast anyway but with my mam dying, it has given me an extra reason to do it.

Brian set up an online fundraiser, which within the first week has raised over £1,600.

He added: “I can’t believe the amount that I have already raised, it’s just amazing. It has given me even more motivation to do it.

If you wish to donate to Brian’s fundraiser, you can do so by clicking here.

Message from the editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Shields Gazette website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.