Alison Madgin sometimes feels like she has lived two different lives.
Before August 2007 she was a happy, hardworking mum-of-three who had recently become a young grandmother.
But her world was ripped apart when beloved daughter Samantha was stabbed to death by a teenage stranger in an unprovoked attack.
The devastating murder left Samantha's loved ones with a legacy of grief from which they will never recover. Yet in the darkest days of their grief Alison, and Samantha's sister Carly Barrett, found a new reason to keep going.
After setting up the voluntary organisation, Samantha's Legacy, they have devoted their lives to educating young people about the dangers of carrying knives and supporting the families of knife crime victims.
Both admit this life they have been "dragged into" can be tough and draining as they continue to live with their grief
But Alison has today told the Chronicle that the hope of helping to prevent more young people losing their lives has given her a reason to get up in the morning.
The 57-year-old said: "Your whole life is ripped away and you are starting again with a different one. This is the life we have been dragged into."
"I could have gone the other way, but when I wake up in the morning feel positive. It gives us a drive, because I hope this does make a change.
"I feel that I have to do this. Some days you have to try and hold the tears back. It's really hard, but there's definitely something inside us that drives us to do it. This is my life now."
Samantha, 18, from Wallsend, was a new mum when she was killed in August 2007. She had been enjoying her first night out since giving birth to son Callum when she fatally crossed paths with 15-year-old Jordon Jobson, who she had never met before.
The killer, who had been drinking vodka and taking cocaine, armed herself with a knife after a disturbance broke out in an alleyway, Newcastle Crown Court was told.
Jobson stabbed unarmed Samantha multiple times in the face, arms and chest.
One of the blows pierced her lung and severed a major artery near her heart, meaning nothing could be done to save Samantha’s life.
Jobson, from Walker in Newcastle, was convicted of murder and jailed for life. She was originally handed a minimum term of 15 years. However, after two separate appeals, that was reduced to 11 years.
Alison and Carly set-up Samantha’s Legacy in 2019 to mark what would have been Samantha’s 30th birthday.
The organisation, which relies on donations to keep going, offers knife crime workshops in schools, support to families and a tranquil victim's retreat for those who have lost loved ones.
Since establishing Samantha's Legacy Carly and Alison have told Samantha's story to hundreds of school children in a bid to make them understand the real consequences carrying a knife can have.
But over recent months they have watched on in horror as more young lives have been taken.
Since October our region has mourned the loss of Tomasz Oleszak, 14, from Gateshead, Gordon Gault, 14, from Benwell in Newcastle, and now 15-year-old Holly Newton, from Haltwhistle, Northumberland.
Their deaths have prompted the Chronicle to launch its Stop Knives Taking Lives campaign.
And Alison and Carly say the recent tragedies have made them all the more determined to carry on with their work.
Carly, 32, said: "It's heartbreaking, it's devastating. It takes you back because you know exactly how that family is going to be feeling.
"Unless you know that feeling I don't think you can understand it.
And Alison added: "Sam has been gone 16 years now and it's only getting worse. Any murder is horrific but the age of the victims and the perpetrators is horrific. It's off the scale."
"There are other knife organisations that are doing the same as us, they have lost their loved ones and want to do something about it. "We would love to do it as a full time job, we want to make things happen, but we are struggling for funding."
While visiting schools Alison and Carly have been shocked at hearing the truth about knife crime in the North East from the young people they work with."
"They tell us they carry knives and they know people that carry knives," said Carly "Some will say its 'just to fit in" or 'just for protection'.
"There was one young lad that I was so so shocked by. He just looked like a normal young boy, but he said he had brought a knife to school.
And Alison added: "That wasn't happening when Samantha was killed. But since then they have let it get out of control. I'm shocked and it upsets us to think it's turned out this way and that kids think they need to carry a knife.
"It's not part of growing up, it's not normal behaviour and it's not childhood behaviour.
"We have seen the result, and we have lived with the result.
"I definitely know we make them think about it, and the consequences. It 100% gets them talking amongst themselves and to their parents."
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