A "selfless and generous" mum-of-six who was always fit and healthy died last weekend after a short and sudden illness, devastating her family.
In the last week of April, Paula Hughes was celebrating her 49th birthday in the last week of April, happy as usual in her garden with her children.
But soon afterwards, the hospice charity volunteer developed an infection in her stomach which triggered serious organ failure.
She died last Saturday, with her son holding her hand as she slipped away.
The engaged parent was also diagnosed with Covid-19 while in Arrowe Park Hospital, but together with the original illness, they proved too much to fight.
Today, her heartbroken daughter Steph described her mum as "an amazing person" who was "the centre of all our worlds".
Paula, from Moreton, Wirral, dedicated her life to her children, they said, and working for St John's cancer hospice in the town.
It was important to her after losing her husband to the disease in 2011, but she was also due to marry her partner Graham after agreeing to wed last January.
Grandmother-of-six Paula leaves six children, aged 31, 28, 25, 22, along with youngsters Jay, 14, and Tyar, seven.
One of her children, Liam, was the only person able to visit her bedside before she died - holding her hand as she slipped away - due to the coronavirus restrictions in hospitals.
Daughter Steph, 25, told the ECHO: "Mum was selfless and generous, we all went to her house every day.
"Everybody felt like family round mum, she was always happy and smiling and the person everybody went to.
"If ever we hear Dancing Queen by Abba, we think of mum as she would be up, dancing away to it.
"She dedicated her life to the kids and the hospice where she volunteered in the charity shop.
"I think we've not accepted her death yet, it's not real, and I can't understand how I can't just go and see her.
"We are all just broken.
"But we are staying strong for our younger brothers."
Paula's funeral will take place in the middle of June, with just 15 people allowed to attend, and a 20 minute service.
A Liverpool FC fan, she was a big lover of singer Pink, and bought a pink blazer to go and watch her perform at Anfield last year.
Mum-of-two Steph added: "It doesn't seem fair, mum was such an amazing person, yet we can't give her a proper send-off.
"I only moved out of her house two months ago.
"On her birthday, at the end of April, she was completely fine, no cough, nothing.
"If I had something to say to mum, it would be "thank you" for everything she did for us."
To contribute towards the cost of Paula's funeral visit here
