Tragic mum has memorial bench unveiled

The bench, with an inscribed plaque on, was unveiled at Trimpell club in Morecambe by Emma Gilhespy’s friends and family.

Emma Gilhespy was just a month short of her 29th birthday when she died at St John’s Hospice last November.

Her dad, Dave Grice, said: “The bench was kindly donated by Noeleen Wood and restored by her brother.

“Emma, who worked at Trimpell for a while, had a fantastic turnout with lots of family and friends in attendance.

“We also went round with a charity bucket for St John’s and raised £100.

“My wife Debbie and daughter Katie along with some friends from the Trimpell club did the St John’s moonlight walk at the weekend raising more money for a great cause. The ribbon was cut by Michael and Callum, her husband and son.” Emma’s illness was first diagnosed in January 2014 when she went to the doctor’s with an ulcer on her tongue.

But despite intensive radiotherapy, the family was given the devastating news in July that the cancer was non-curative.

In November, her family was told that she may not survive more than 24 hours.

The couple married in the chapel on November 20 at 11am, and Emma passed away at 11pm that night.