THE family of a Barnsley woman who died of rabies earlier this year hosted a special Christmas meal for some of the town’s most vulnerable people on Saturday to mark what would have been her 60th birthday.
Following contact with a stray dog while on holiday in Morocco in February, 59-year-old Yvonne Ford, from Redbrook, was diagnosed with the rare virus at Barnsley Hospital.
She was then treated at Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield and died four months after the incident.
Yvonne’s death left a hole in her family and her daughter, Robyn Thomson, from Barugh Green, told the Chronicle that the pain she has suffered is ‘unimaginable’.
But since then the whole family have been channelling their grief into supporting others - with Robyn and her husband Andrew even travelling out to Cambodia with Mission Rabies in a bid to try and eradicate the disease.
Over a two-week mission, more than 220,000 dogs were vaccinated and the pair vaccinated around 1,000 dogs between themselves.
Saturday would have been Yvonne’s 60th birthday and Robyn said that as they were unable to give gifts to her mum, they wanted to support some of the town’s most vulnerable residents.
She said it was something her mum always wanted to do and, with the help of Age UK, almost 60 locals attended the meal at the Courtyard Cafe in the town centre.
Robyn told the Chronicle: “It was really, really good - everybody had such a lovely time.
“There was lots of empty plates and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.
“I think everyone was so grateful that they had been asked to attend.
“Age UK had sorted all the people getting there and they worked really hard to get everyone together.
“It was always something that she wanted to do and I feel like we achieved it in her honour.
“The kids worked so hard, bless them.
“They were handing out all the food and collecting the empty plates and rubbish.”
Robyn and her entire family were working hard throughout the day and she says she’d like to think her mum would be proud of what they did.
She added: “We are helping to just try and make a difference.
“It was so nice and fulfilling.
“We got a card from somebody that said they were spending Christmas alone so being invited to an event like that meant they were able to still enjoy a little bit of Christmas.
“Everyone got stuck in and really enjoyed themselves.
“We did it for mum and I know she would be so proud of us all.
“I just wish she could have been there to see it.
“Her gentle heart, her generosity and the way her love wrapped around everyone who knew her.
“She had a rare gift of making people feel cared for, understood and truly valued.”
Robyn and the family are now gearing up for a quieter Christmas than usual - but she’s planning to continue her fundraising mission for Mission Rabies.
She’s vowed to return next year and is hoping to start fundraising for the mission in the new year.
She said: “We’re going to be having a small, quiet Christmas.
“It’s going to be a very different Christmas to what we’re used to.”
