Woman who was 'life of the party' dies at 22 after complaining of sore throat

A universitygraduate tragically died from a short illness after she was rushed to hospital with a sore throat.

Amy Forsythe, from Northern Ireland, was taken to Ulster Hospital in Belfast, after falling sick in November last year. The 22-year-old suffered with throat pain which led to an abscess, which blocked her airways.

She fought for her life in intensive care for five days before she sadly died on November 16. Almost one year on from the tragedy, her family have raised more than £15,000 for the Intensive Care Unit which looked after her during her final days.

Speaking about the exceptional care of the unit, Amy's mother, Nicola, said: "Amy was our eldest child. She came back over a year ago from Liverpool John Moore University, after completing a degree in Journalism. She was working as a Classroom Assistant and planning to do her teacher training.

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"Last November, Amy took ill at home. We had to call an ambulance and she was brought to the Ulster Hospital, where she spent five days in Intensive Care. It was end-of-life care, she was only 22. Amy had a sore throat, which led to an abscess that blocked her airway and she passed away on 16 November 2024.

"The team in the Intensive Care Unit were amazing and we decided that we wanted to give something back, so we started to fundraise. At Amy’s funeral, we asked for family flowers only and instead, friends and family made donations, raising £2,500 for the hospital in lieu of flowers."

Amy’s family wanted their fundraising to reflect her vibrant personality, reports Belfast Live. Nicola continued: "Amy was always the life and soul of the party. She was loud, she was noisy, she was big and had a massive personality. Her favourite colours were pink and yellow, everything she wore was pink and yellow.

"So, if we can help make a room or a place in the Unit a little bit more comfortable to help families in the saddest of days, that is what we want to do. After the funeral, I said to my husband James that it would be lovely if we could raise another thousand pounds. In January, we decided to run relay teams in the Belfast Marathon.

"I am a runner, James is not, so he suggested holding a quiz as well. We organised a quiz night in our local football club, where our son Thomas plays, at the end of March,. It was incredible, so many people came along and everyone just kept donating. On the night we raised £7,000.

"We aimed to raise £10,000, but with the quiz, the relay teams in May and the support of my running club, Scrabo Striders, the total just kept climbing. With the fundraising and donations in lieu of flowers, we raised over £15,000 for the Unit."

Ulster Hospital Intensive Care Unit Manager, Shauna Lynam, expressed her gratitude to Amy’s family and friends. "This is such a wonderful donation for the Unit at what is such a tragic time for the family," Shauna said. "To be there to support Amy and her loved ones on such a sad journey was a privilege for the team of Doctors and Nurses in the Intensive Care Unit.

"We are deeply grateful for this incredible donation and we plan to use it to enhance our facilities for families and relatives. We will also ensure something pink and yellow is included in the Unit to remember Amy dearly."

Nicola added: "We would like to thank everyone who contributed towards the fundraising.. The support we received was just fantastic. Coming back to the Unit to make the donation was bittersweet, but we really hope that this will go towards making a difference for other families."