‘She wanted to give something back’: Family and friends of Sunderland mum Becky Timby who died months after successful heart transplant surgery raise cash for hospital that helped her

Becky Timby with her partner Brian Priest and their daughter Brooke.

Becky Timby, 36, died at her Sunderland home last November having taken unwell as she continued her recovery from the transplant.

Becky, a loving mum to 11-year-old daughter Brooke, was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory IgG4 several years ago and was later told she had giant cell myocarditis, a disease which affects the muscles around the heart.

Brian Priest and daughter Brooke present a cheque for £5,000 to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle in memory of Becky Timby, Brian's partner and Brooke's mum.

Medics at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital told Becky and her partner Brian Priest, 39, that she needed a life-saving transplant after her condition began to deteriorate at the beginning of 2018.

Following months of rehabilitation in the hospital after the operation, Becky was allowed to return to her Hill View home.

But sadly on Friday, November 16, Becky, who had worked as a dispenser in a chemist before her health problems, came home from a shopping trip and began to feel unwell.Despite the efforts of paramedics, she died later that day.

Her funeral took place in December, with hundreds turning out to say goodbye to popular Becky.In accordance with her wishes, money donated at Becky’s funeral was collected to be passed on to the Intensive Care Unit at the Freeman where she underwent her transplant.

Brooke Priest with a cheque for £5,000 for the Freeman Hospital in memory of her mum Becky Timby.

That figure has now swelled to £5,000, which a grateful Brian and Brooke have now presented to staff at the site,

Brian’s sisters Kimberley, Melanie, Kelly and Tammy have held raffles while Christine Young, who runs Chance to Dance which Brooke attends, has also contributed, with youngsters at the classes doing their own fund-raising through sponsored silences and walks.

Brian, a car sales executive for Toyota, said: “When Becky was released from hospital after her transplant we found out that the amount of money it cost to carry it out was about £50,000, so she always said she wanted to give something back.

“We got about £1,000 in from the funeral and it’s just kept on coming in since then.

“The staff were over the moon when we handed the cheque over and I’ve had some lovely messages from them.

“It’s a bit of a weight off my shoulders as I know it’s what Becky would’ve wanted to do but she will never have the chance.”

Brian added that any extra money that is donated will be handed over to the hospital at a later date.

“I’m just trying to get used to looking after my daughter without Becky here,” he said.

“It’s been a bit of a struggle but I’m getting into a bit of a routine now.”