Madelaine

Today I dedicate my blip to my wonderful sister who passed away one year ago today.

She was a special person and the word used over and over again by people to describe her was 'kind'. She was so caring and none judgmental - the world has lost a good one in her.

She worked as a teaching assistant for nearly 20 years and was so supportive of the hard worked teachers and pupils alike. In fact when she was taken ill she was studying about autism, in her own time and paid for by herself, not to further her career, but to understand the child she was caring for at the time.

The school she worked at were devastated at her death, it wasn't sudden, but very fast. They talked about building a memorial garden in her name, I'm not sure if this happened, but they have created an annual award in her name to be presented at the leavers concert at the end of each year. They also presented her family with a beautiful memory book. I have made a little collage of some of my favourite comments from the book for today's blip. Lovely to see how a teaching assistant was so appreciated. She was unbelievably modest and would find it a total surprise to see how highly she was regarded.

I hope she is resting in peace.

I've added an extra of what her school did in her memory. Us as a family are deeply touched. And another extra - A bench to her memory unveiled on her birthday, the day they awarded the award in her memory.