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Hundreds pay tribute to tragic Weymouth mum (From Thisisdorset)
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Hundreds pay tribute to tragic Weymouth mum
8:50am Friday 3rd July 2009
HUNDREDS of people packed into a church to celebrate the life of a young mum who died tragically at the age of 24.
A service of thanksgiving for Natalie Turner was held at St George’s Church in Fordington, Dorchester.
The Weymouth mum-of-one died suddenly after she was admitted to Dorset County Hospital with a mystery illness.
Her devastated family made the heartbreaking decision to turn off her life support machine after her condition rapidly deteriorated within 72 hours.
A post mortem showed up a brain infarction – when blood supply is cut off causing tissue to die – but what caused that is not known.
Natalie leaves behind her six-year-old son Rio, who is cared for by his paternal grandmother, her boyfriend of four years Ricki Churchill and large families on both her father Robert Turner and her mother Maria Damon’s sides.
Mourners filled the church pews and sang the hymn All Things Bright And Beautiful.
The Rev Richard Betts read a David Harkins poem twice throughout the service called She Is Gone, which he said ‘meant a lot to the family’.
He said there were ‘a lot of positive and happy things’ that made Natalie a special person to everyone who knew her.
Mr Betts spoke on behalf of Natalie’s father Robert and said: “I will miss Natalie like anything, like everyone will.”
He described how Natalie was ‘always up for a laugh’, ‘a free spirit’ who had ‘a great sense of mischief’ and shared stories of popular Natalie’s school days, her direct approach, how she entered every competition she could find and her ‘terrific smile’.
Mr Betts also sympathised that when a young life is taken ‘it seems so very, very unfair’.
Tears flowed as Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls was played.
The service also included prayers, the hymn Amazing Grace and ended with the song I’ll Be Missing You by Puff Daddy.
Donations in memory of Natalie may be given to set up a trust fund for her son Rio through Woods Funeral Service, 11A Icen Way, Dorchester, DT1 1EW.
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Natalie Turner’s dad Robert Turner and wife April leave St George’s Church. Inset, Natalie Turner
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