Tributes paid to witty Chesterfield mum and daughter who 'would help anyone' - as she leaves behind two little girls

Emma Gregory, 43, from Chesterfield, passed away suddenly on May 11 leaving behind her two daughters, Eden 6 and Elouise 12, her mum Sharon, step dad Pete, and her brother Peter.

Amy Sturgess, Emma’s best friend, said: “Sharon received a call from a private number and it turned out it was a doctor from Derby hospital, telling her that unfortunately, her daughter was admitted with a cardiac arrest and died.

"Sharon was very confused and could not believe it. We called the hospital back to confirm this and went to Derby alongside other family members to identify her. It was a shock for us all and it was really difficult.

"We had to break the news to the children. The youngest one was she was saying she just wanted to see mommy and both of them wanted one last hug from Emma.”

Amy has now set up a fundraiser to help with costs of funeral and support Emma’s daughters.

Amy, who has known Emma for 20 years, said: “Emma always put other people's feelings above her own. She never had a bad word to say about anybody, even if they did her wrong. She would still say they had a good side to them.

"She was a witty soul, so funny, always chatting brilliant one-liners. She did her best to make others smile, she was outgoing around people she loved and you couldn't shut her up from telling the million stories of her life. She would sing and dance and be as loud as life and laugh so much."

"Emma was a massive mummy's girl, she was the apple of Sharon's eye. The bond between them was a bond I had never seen before and Sharon would give her last breath for Emma. Sharon has been left heartbroken and left with a massive Emma-sized hole in her heart.

"Girls were Emma’s entire world and her biggest achievement. She adored them. She was so proud of them and the little people they were becoming. She would hug and kiss them a million times and always tell them how much she loved them.”

Emma was well-known in the Chesterfield area and among the beauty pageant community as she was fundraising regularly and took part in several charity beauty pageants. She supported a variety of charities - including UK Sepsis Trust and STREETZ cic – an organisation helping young people forced to sleep rough on the streets.

Amy added: “Emma has done fundraising with Sharon since she was a very little girl. Her pageant life was her greatest passion and didn't she just give it her best, she won an uncountable amount, she absolutely was in her element doing them and she loved every person involved.

"She would try her best to help anyone even a stranger on the street. She gave so much to charity through her peagants and I am asking kindly if we can give back to give this beautiful soul inside and out the best send-off possible.”