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Colne mum Julie Patefield dies after bone marrow transplant
BRAVE mum Julie Patefield – who inspired people across Burnley and Pendle and further afield to volunteer as potential bone marrow donors – has lost her battle for life.
After a successful transplant thanks to a donor in America, Julie (38), from Colne, was hit by a virus which ended in tragedy for her family and friends. She died in Manchester Royal Infirmary on Wednesday.
Julie, who worked in the pharmacy at Yarnspinners Health Centre, Nelson, was hit by a virulent form of leukaemia. She needed treatment followed by a bone marrow transplant, and finding a matching donor was not easy, despite a world search. Her friends launched the Help Julie campaign and it resulted in thousands more people volunteering to have blood tests as potential donors.
>>Click here to read online tributes to Julie and leave your own message or words of sympathy, too.
Husband Andrew, a firefighter at Burnley, got support from his colleagues and there were a series of sessions at local fire stations. And there was a tremendous campaign organised by Derek and Helen Green, Vanessa Norwood and Jodie Henaghan.
Julie, Andrew and daughters Jemima (seven) and Annabelle (three) spent as much time as possible together. She also leaves mother and father Mary and Trevor Howorth, brother Mark and niece Sarah.
Julie's friend, dance teacher Helen Green, said: "Julie fought hard to the end. She defied the doctors. They told her she had just a week, and she has been in intensive care for a few weeks. She finally died peacefully."
>>You can light a candle in Julie's memory here
She had had the transplant and was going successfully in the right direction. Then the virus struck and Julie was admitted to ICU. The doctors even had antibiotics flown from Germany to tackle her illness.
Her daughters had not seen her for several weeks as they were not allowed in hospital, but Helen said: "They will have a wonderful, wonderful memory of her - she was still very active when they last saw her. They even had a week in Spain together before the transplant.
"This couldn't have happened to a more perfect family. They did everything together as a family unit."
She added: "We were so shattered by what had happened - it is a tragedy. We didn't think it was going to go that way. Andrew is grateful to the support Julie got from the public of Pendle."
Details of Julie's funeral have not yet been finalised but will be announced soon. Anyone with inquiries can contact Dennis Hartley and Son Funeral Services on 870800 .
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Weather for Pendle
Friday 25 May 2012
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