'She's a hero': Cherished sister who died suddenly from brain aneurysm saves three lives by being organ donor
A beloved sister and mum, who died suddenly from a brain aneurysm, has been described as a “hero” after saving three people’s lives by being an organ donor.
Tamsyn Collier-Baker was rushed to Queen Alexandra Hospital on March 27 after an undetected brain aneurysm ruptured, causing her to experience severe seizures.
Despite receiving emergency medical treatment, a scan revealed the 45-year-old, from Eastney, suffered extreme brain damage, with doctors at Southampton General Hospital confirming it was inoperable.
Rox-Anne said: “She did have her demons but she fought them and was doing really well. She fell pregnant with Hunter-Lee and she was doing really well bringing up her son but then we got the phone call saying she had been rushed to hospital after having major fits. She never suffered from that before so we raced to the hospital to be told that she had a massive brain aneurysm and was basically brain dead.
“She wouldn’t have known she had it unless she had a scan - It just erupted. It was like a dripping tap that suddenly got turned on, and it killed her. The best thing that came out of it was that she saved the lives of three people, so she’s a hero in our eyes.
“She donated her pancreas, liver and kidneys, so something good has come out of something really traumatic and awful. My mum lost her daughter, I lost my best friend and sister, and her kids lost their mother but she saved someone else’s loved ones.
“She was very loved and was a very outgoing person. She will always be in our hearts and will always be loved and missed.”
The page says: “He has lost his mum far too soon, and our hearts break for him. He deserves love, stability, and support as he grows up without her - We want to make sure Hunter is supported and cared for in the months and years ahead.”
The fundraiser, which has a target of £1,000, has already raised £420, with Rox-Anne saying: “I was hesitant to do it for a long time but it is amazing the support that I’ve got through doing it and it just shows that people did really love her and want to give her a good send off. Even if it’s £1, it will still really help us.
“The money is going to help pay for the funeral. Costs of funerals have gone up so much and it was such a shock seeing how much it would be.
“I’m basically keeping it all because I don’t want to upset my girls or Hunter-Lee so I’m trying to act as normal as possible but when I’m alone, I definitely have my moments.”