Tributes have been paid to a "strong, brave and fearless" Ipswich mum who died in a Spanish treatment facility as preparations begin to repatriate her back to the UK.
Lesley Edmunds died on February 13 at the age of 57 after losing her fight with liver and kidney cancer, having beaten breast cancer, twice before.
She was living in Spain at the time of her death.
Her son, John Johnston, said: "We thought she was in the clear, and we tragically lost my younger brother five years ago as he was killed and we managed to pull through that as a family.
"After my brother died we told her to go and live her life - you'll only be four hours away if you move to Spain."
Lesley with her children (Image: Submitted)
Ms Edmunds moved from Ipswich to Spain in 2020 and has been living there since.
Mr Johnston added: "Just before Christmas she started feeling unwell.
"Doctors in Spain told her it was a water infection but my mum said it didn't feel like one, also suggesting it could be kidney stones, and after speaking to a few of our friends who are nurses here in the UK, they confirmed it could have been kidney stones.
"She went back in mid-January and unfortunately her condition had deteriorated a little more. She was unable to walk, was being sick, she couldn't eat a lot.
"My stepfather Jim then decided to take her to a private facility in Spain so they could look at her.
"Had we not taken her there, she would have died much sooner. My sister and I flew back to the UK due to work and we landed home and then I had a call from my stepfather saying 'it's not looking good' and we needed to go back.
Lesley died on February 13 (Image: Submitted)
"We went back and you could just see from the deterioration that it wasn't going to be long."
Upon hearing this news, the family set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds to get her to the UK so that she could be with her family.
This was not possible, however, once the doctor had told them that she couldn't move anywhere.
Following her death, the family also had to think about storing her body due to the facility she was in not having any cold facilities to preserve bodies.
Lesley with two of her children including John (left) (Image: Submitted)
Mr Johnston said: "We had to call around loads of funeral directors in Spain to see if they could come and get her, and then I was liaising with funeral services in Spain and the UK.
"The GoFundMe is there to help with the repatriation and some of these medical bills that are going to be coming from the private facility."
The page was set up a day before she passed, but within those first 24 hours, they had raised about £12,000.
Mr Johnston said: "The generosity from friends and the wider network was absolutely incredible."
Lesley will be repatriated to the UK (Image: Submitted)
He finished by saying: "My mum was just the most wonderful, kind-hearted person you'll know.
"She had a smile that could light up the whole town. She overcame a lot of adversities in her early life and she is just one of the strongest women I've ever known.
"She was an amazing mum. She was very loving, strong, brave and fearless. The rock of our family.
"She was just an absolutely amazing person. She will be deeply missed by family, friends and all who knew her."
Funeral arrangements in Suffolk are currently being sorted, with the service set to happen in the afternoon of Wednesday, March 19.
Lesley moved from Ipswich to Spain after losing one of her children (Image: Submitted)
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