Jessica Walsh, 21, and her partner David Myers, 23, not only have to deal with the grief of losing Jessica's mum Sarah Townsend but also now have the responsibility of caring for Jessica's three sisters - Natalie, 17, Emily, six, and Lucy, three - along with their own young daughters, Megan, four, and Chloe, two.

Jessica, of The Greenway, Greenhill, said: "We are doing our best for the kids. We have to get on with it - it's the kids' interests we are thinking about first."

She added: "I think my mum would be proud of us."

The nightmare began when Sarah was pregnant with Lucy at the beginning of 2005. She started suffering from a tight chest and struggled catching her breath, especially when walking far.

She was taken into hospital and following test was diagnosed withy pulmonary hypertension.

The rare condition results in the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery - the artery which transports blood without oxygen from the heart to the lungs - rising way above normal levels.

Jessica said: "We knew then there was no cure, but we thought that with drugs she would be able to live until old age. We were devastated at the news, but we didn't think it was going to take hold as rapidly as it did."

At first life did carry on - although Jessica said Lucy's birth was particularly stressful. She was born a happy and healthy baby which was a "huge relief" for everyone.

Sarah continued in her job as a support worker on the psychiatric ward at the Northern General Hospital, and ran the family home, but as time went on things became increasingly difficult.

Jessica said: "She had days where she couldn't walk very far. She had a lot of water retention - her feet would really swell up. She'd feel cold because her circulation wasn't very good.

"There was a lot of discomfort all the time, and she used to get frustrated because she couldn't really do the things she wanted - go to the shops, go out and see her friends - it was quite hard."

But in the space of a few hours last year Sarah's life slipped away.

Click on the green icon above to see a video interview with the couple.

She was admitted to the Hallamshire Hospital and told she was "doing well" by staff but died three days later.

Now Jessica and David want to ensure Sarah's memory - as a "bubbly, loving, hard-working woman, who loved to laugh and lived for her kids" - can be used to achieve something positive.

They want to raise awareness of her condition, and urge anyone with potential symptoms of the illness to get checked out.

David, Jessica's partner of six years, said: "It's just as life-threatening as cancer, how quickly it can take hold.

"People need to be aware of it - even Sarah wasn't aware of how it could be, and we have had to find out the hard way. People reading this who think their symptoms sound similar need to get checked out."

He added: "If we can make people more aware and make it easier for them, less of a shock, then that will be something."

• • The newly enlarged family is struggling to cope with the demands of four young children and a teenager. To help with items, including a washing machine and tumble dryer, call David on 07805 985 119 .




• • Log onto www.pha-uk.com for more information about the condition and how you can support research into it. David has also invited anyone with questions about the illness to call him.

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