Last updated at 16:23, Tuesday, 01 May 2012

A FAMILY have paid tribute to a woman with an ‘unforgettable smile’.

REMEMBERED: Millom woman and former Sandside Lodge and Mill Lane user, Jacqueline Cunningham has died aged 34. Jacqueline Cunningham, pictured centre, with her brother Chris on the left and sister Joanne Cunningham on the right Submitted Picture

Jacqueline Cunningham, of Mainsgate Road, Millom, died aged 34 on April 20 following a chest infection.

Miss Cunningham, known by friends and family as Jackie, was left disabled after suffering a stroke when she was a baby, which left her unable to speak or walk.

Miss Cunningham attended Sandside Lodge School, in Ulverston, from the age of three before moving to the Mill Lane Centre, in Walney, when she was 18.

Mary Cunningham, Miss Cunningham's mother, paid tribute to the quality of care the centres provided to her daughter.

She said: “We always knew she was going to be a special girl.

“She went to Sandside Lodge School when she was three – the staff were absolutely marvellous.

“They gave her a lot of marvellous experiences.

“They took her swimming, they went on holidays and she took part in riding for the disabled.

“The staff were really caring and worked really hard.

“We've had hundreds of cards and messages saying it was a privilege to have known Jackie.

“She had beautiful hair and people will always remember her smile.”

Miss Cunningham enjoyed car trips and feeding the swans at the Hodbarrow Nature Reserve with her father, Terry, and spending time at the Mill Lane Centre.

Mrs Cunningham said her daughter spent a lot of time in hospital as her condition left her vulnerable to chest infections.

She said: “The staff in intensive care were fantastic and Jackie's carers came in to visit her.

“We met some wonderful, caring people through Jackie.

“She touched a lot of lives in her own special way.”

Miss Cunningham's sister, Joanne, said: “She was such a fighter – she went through so much but she always came through it.

“It was such a big shock.”

Carolyn Neville, supervisor at the Mill Lane Day Care Centre in Walney, paid tribute to Miss Cunningham.

She said: “Jackie was a very special lady who brought much joy to everybody who met her.’’

Miss Cunningham's funeral was due to take place in St James' Roman Catholic Church in Lonsdale Road, Millom, at 10.30am today (Tuesday).

She is survived by her father Terry, her mother Mary, sister Joanne and brother Chris.

First published at 13:20, Tuesday, 01 May 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk