Our one in a million...

DIED suddenly on Sunday . . . Sarah Limb

THE husband of a much-loved community fundraiser and mum of three young girls has paid tribute to his "one in a million" wife who died suddenly on Sunday.

Sarah Limb, from Derker, helped raise thousands through the monthly Kit4Kids table-top sales at East Oldham Methodist Church, a not-for-profit community business which sees all cash going to good causes.

She also arranged Christmas hampers to be distributed among families who needed them and helped organise fundraising appeals for causes including baby Zac Parkisson, whose mother Lisa died when he was only two days old and for sensory equipment for Spring Meadows Children's Centre.

Mum to Poppy (7), Daisy (5) and Lily (23 months), Sarah was found unresponsive in her house on Sunday morning. She was 40-years-old.

Her husband John, a health care assistant, said Sarah had slept downstairs on Saturday night with daughter Lily, who was born with the rare brain disease Vein of Galen Malformation, which has left her partially sighted with brain damage, epilepsy and hydrocephalus.

It was around 7.30am on Sunday when daughter Daisy told him she could not find her mum and could not open the door to their downstairs bathroom.

He said: "Sarah would often get up to sort out Lily's medication, prepare breakfast and pop outside into the garden for a cigarette before coming back in.

"But when Daisy said that, I ran downstairs and tried to open the door, which would only open a little, and I could see Sarah on the floor.

"I shouted her name but she was unresponsive so I phoned 999."

Paramedics attended while John took the girls to a neighbour's house but when he came back five minutes later, he was told the sad news.

The family are now waiting to find out the results of a post mortem.

John paid tribute to his wife and described her as a "genuine and lovely" person.

He said: "She did a lot for the community, she had a lot of friends and she was a fantastic mother to our children.

"I'm absolutely devastated, she was one in a million, a very special woman and I'll miss her for the rest of my life.

"My focus now is to be the best father and carer to our daughters.

"They've been told mummy has gone to heaven but she will always be looking down on them."

Speaking of Sarah's Pride in Oldham nomination, which featured in yesterday's newspaper, he said: "As tragic as this has been, I feel proud of Sarah and what she has done.

"I'm proud to see the nomination, it's all her good work and I know she would have been proud to see it too.

"It's a fitting tribute to the person she was."

A fundraising site has been set up to raise money to help the family and can be found at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/for-sarahs-girls-and-jon.