'Kind and caring' daughter was 'poorly' with cough but died just two days later
A "kind and caring" choir singer died suddenly a matter of days after she had to be talked out of going to work to help others.
Bethany Amber Price, from Leasowe in the Wirral, Merseyside started to feel unwell during the middle of October last year. She suffered from asthma, a condition her mum said was mostly manageable. The 23-year-old, a member of Wallasey Choir along with her mum, felt well enough to sing with the group on Saturday, October 21 but the following day she fell ill again.
Jean, 54, told LiverpoolEcho: "She was poorly on the Sunday evening. She was still planning to work because she didn't like to let people down. She knew people were relying on her for help at the care home. I convinced her not to go in.” The morning after, Bethany was wheezing and coughing and so she booked a doctor’s appointment.
However, she continued to feel ill from an asthma attack. Jean said: “She had got an appointment. We decided we were not going to wait though. We decided to just get her down to the hospital. We’d heard all about long wait times for ambulances.” Chris, Jean’s husband and Bethany’s dad, rushed her to hospital, where Bethany’s condition worsened further. Jean said: “It was the worst thing I’ve been through in my whole life.
"As they were wheeling her into A&E, that’s when her heart stopped. Even the ventilator couldn’t get air into her. They had to do it manually with a balloon pump.” Bethany was resuscitated in hospital but kept in a coma as it was so difficult to get air into her. She died two days later on October 25. Her asthma attack, which was triggered by a viral infection, was described by Bethany’s doctor as the most severe asthma attack they had ever seen.
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Bethany with her dad, Chris, who recalled the awful moment he rushed his daughter to hospital (Jean Mary Price)Jean was shocked and devastated by her daughter’s sudden death. The fact that Bethany had to be talked out of going to work in the care home symbolises her personality according to her mum. She said: “Every minute of her life, she just lived her life like that. In school, she volunteered at a hedgehog sanctuary. It was in her very nature.
“She was autistic. People think autistic people don't have any empathy. They actually have extremely deep empathy. Bethany would see people who needed kindness, who needed people to stick up for them, and she did it. She would see people who were looking sad and give them a smile and a compliment. Even people who met her once remember the interaction they had with her. She made a difference to so many people's lives in what seemed like a little way, in what seemed like a little way to her, but she actually made a massive impact on people’s lives.”
Jean was devesated after her daughter’s death and credits her friends for supporting her through the difficult period. She added: “My friend Marguerite Slane, she picked me up off the floor. I said, I need to do something positive in honour of Bethany. It's not about me. It's a whole team of us and we’re doing it because of Bethany, because of the way she was and how she impacted our lives. We already knew we needed to do something.”
A number of fundraising events have been set up in memory of Bethany (Jean Mary Price)A range of events have been planned in memory of Bethany, which will all raise money for children’s hospice Claire House. Marguerite has helped organise a night of musical entertainment at Sacred Heart Social Club in Moreton on April 12 and a cabaret show on July 1, in conjunction with Wallasey Choir.
Meanwhile, Judy Baigent has helped organise several fundraisers. These include a sponsored wing walk, walking up Mount Snowdon at night and a cabaret show. Jean has been overwhelmed by the support friends and local organisations have shown her for these events, including New Brighton restaurant Marino Lounge and the Little Theatre in Birkenhead which Bethany’s friend was involved with.
Jean is also hopeful that Bethany’s story will encourage others with asthma to keep taking their medication. She said: “It's so important to get the message out about taking medication. There’s no such thing as having mild asthma, you have asthma. Letting people know Bethany story can encourage people to take medication, even if they're well. It could save lives.” You can find out more about the fundraising events in memory of Bethany
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