Woman pays tribute to 'courageous' Kirkby best friend after sudden death with fundraising page for funeral costs

Kayleigh Devonshire has paid tribute to her best friend, Julia Ann Holme, who died at King’s Mill Hospital, aged 54, on Friday, February 9.

Julia, originally from Derbyshire before moving to Kirkby, had several medical conditions such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy, along with other debilitating illnesses, with her physical condition worsening in the last year, leaving her fully paralysed from the neck down.

“Despite her many conditions and obstacles, she kept positive and strong and still tried to make others feel better, putting her troubles to the side to help everyone else,” said Kayleigh, in a comment on the fundraising page.

Kayleigh, who worked as Julia's personal assistant and carer for ten years, said Julia had become her best friend and a part of her family.

She said: “She grew to be my best friend and was welcomed and loved by myself and my family.

“Sadly, Julia doesn’t have any family but she does have many friends that loved her so much and her beloved cat Tia.”

Kayleigh explained how she was unable to afford Julia’s funeral herself but wanted to give her a “deserving send-off”, which is why she created a GoFundMe page with a target of £4,000.

The page – www.gofundme.com/f/julia-holmes?cdn-cache=0 – has received more than £1,000 in donations since its creation earlier this month.

Kayleigh said Julia did not have any life insurance in place or any wishes regarding her death, and only ever expressed a wish to live a happy life.

“She has left a massive hole in a lot of people’s lives.

“We could all learn a lot from Ju. She was such a fighter,” she added.

Julia loved having fun, making memories, and taking trips out. Kayleigh said she adored her cat, Tia.

She said: “I have never in my life met such a brave and courageous lady as Ju, no matter what challenges she faced every day, she found her own way to overcome them.

“Ju would have done anything for anybody as she was a truly amazing person with so much love to give.”