‘In her darkest hour, Jade was still helping others’ says husband Lee

The 28-year-old mother died from an aggressive cancer just days after her wedding to her Lee.

Jade, nee Caughey, had received a terminal diagnosis just a month ago but, through pain, planned her own wedding and, sadly, her own funeral.

Lee and Jade married on New Year’s Eve but soon after she slipped off to sleep and died two days later on January 2.

She is mourned by her husband Lee, children Kai (13), Ben (6) and James (2), father Billy, extended family and many friends.

Her funeral, which she meticulously organised, began with the Hakuna Matata from The Lion King as her Entrance Song. The lyrics begin: “It means no worries for the rest of your days”.

The congregation heard from her new husband Lee how selfless Jade was, right till the end.

Desperately ill and in a wheelchair, she knew her days were numbered but had the tenacity and will power to go shopping for parting gifts for family and friends.

Lee said: “For everyone, she wanted to get keepsakes for as many people as she could.

“We found some pieces for people and she kept buying stuff. I had to get my sister to come to Tesco to collect all the stuff she had bought because we had overloaded the wheelchair.

“Jade never found enough keepsakes for people and that annoyed her so much. Jade was a very sentimental person, she wanted to leave people with something special for them to look at and remember her and smile... in her darkest hours she was still looking to help others.

“She got most of her inspiration from our friends Gordon and Miriam’s son Ethan, she spoke so highly of him and his bravery. He was her hero.

“She was a selfless woman who cared about me and the boys before her own needs.

“On Christmas Eve Jade wanted to get out of the house. She got the care nurses to dress her up, put her in her wheelchair, load her purse up with money and go shopping. Jade wanted to find presents.”

The congregation heard how Jade’s dad Billy Caughey would remember his beloved daughter by her smile, her laugh, her sense of loyalty and keeping up tradition.

He will remember how she stuck up for herself, regardless of her size. He will remember her honesty, her devotion to her husband Lee and children Kia, Ben and James.

He said: “Her true belief in the ethics of do unto others as you would had them do unto you - it didn’t matter to Jade what colour, creed or religion you were, Jade only saw the good in everyone.

“That’s my Jade and that’s the Jade I will remember,” said her dad.

Other songs chosen by Jade included: All Of Me By John Legend; Wannabe By The Spice Girls and her parting song You Gotta Be By Des’ree.

In his eulogy, Ian Milne revealed that, in 30 years as a funeral director he had never sat before anyone so ill arranging her funeral by invitation and eating her husband’s tea - a large Chinese meal.

After the funeral there was a committal service at Roselawn Crematorium.

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Visiting suspended at two NI hospitals due to ‘unprecedented demand’ Read full story here-

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