‘We should have had more time’: Tributes to mum-of-six who died before cancer treatment could start

A “loving and affectionate” mum-of-six died the day after she was supposed to start cancer treatment. Heidi Lock, from Tunbridge Wells , was first diagnosed with lung cancer in March. Her daughter Christa Boughton said: “She’d been having breathlessness and went to the doctors who thought that she may have had COPD and referred her for a scan.

“She became ill the next day, and went to the hospital. “They did some X-rays and told us that they suspected she had lung cancer and referred her for further tests." “The last two months were just horrendous.



“She was in and out of the hospital and had to have fluid around her heart and lungs drained which was really scary. “Every time she’d go home, she’d be there for a couple of days and then end up back in the hospital.” In March, it was confirmed that mum had stage 4 lung cancer and it had spread to other parts of her body, meaning it was incurable.

“But doctors were hopeful that treatment would be able to give her at least a bit longer,” Christa added. “Four days before Mother’s Day, she was really unwell in hospital and we took the younger children to say goodbye to mum. “But she pulled through and was doing really well and we were working with the hospital to plan her discharge so that she could come home.

” She was due to begin treatment on Monday, April 7. However, she had a stroke in her sleep the day before and woke being unable to speak. She was transferred to the stroke unit at Maidstone Hospital.

She died on Tuesday, April 8, surrounded by her family. Heidi, 49, was mum to six children: Shannon, 31, Christa, 29, Samuel, 24, Ollie, 16, Lewis, 14, and Harley, 6. She was engaged to partner Kurt Jones, 40, and has two grandchildren, Lily, 9, and Gracie, 1.

She spent her early childhood living in Hastings, but lived in Tunbridge Wells for most of her life and went to school there. Christa says her mum was an “absolute force of nature”. She explained: “She was very loving and affectionate to us all.

“She was loud with a great sense of humour and a potty mouth" “She lived for all of her children and her fiancé." “She was just there for everyone, throughout our childhood so many people came to stay with us that she took in when they were going through hard times.” Heidi also volunteered two days a week in the art room at charity Aspens, in Pembury, to help support people with autism and learning disabilities.

The family has set up a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral costs. Donations can be made here . In a joint statement, her children said: “Mum fought incredibly hard to stay with us as long as she could.

“We are all in complete shock and absolutely heartbroken. “She was an amazing mother, partner, nanny, sister, auntie, and friend and we all miss the sound of her shouting, her smile, her hugs and her unconditional love more than we could ever put into words. “Rest in peace mum, thank you for being you, for loving us all so much, and for giving us your strength.

“We promise to always stick together and look after each other the way you would want us to.”.