Shock as healthy mum, 32, collapses and dies while leading fitness class
A devoted mum of two has died after collapsing with a brain aneurysm while teaching a fitness class.
Katy Hancock, 32, from Cambridgeshire in the UK, collapsed on January 25 while conducting a bounce class.
She was rushed to hospital for an MRI scan but died a week later.
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Her father, Chris Taylor, said Katy seemed “quite normal” in the days leading up to the unexpected aneurysm.
He said she was “massively fit and healthy” but had had a few headaches in the lead-up to the catastrophic event.
Katy leaves behind her husband, Edd, and two children, Dylan, four, and Taylor, two.
“She was hysterically funny, a brilliant mimic, she could memorise lines from a film she saw 20 years ago and just drop them out at the appropriate moment,” her father said.
“Very cynical; really, really dry sense of humour.
“She was challenging and very strong-minded.
Katy Hancock. Credit: Supplied/Cambridgeshire Live
“Completely and utterly devoted to her kids and to Edd and just one of the most fun people you could ever meet really.”
A schoolteacher by trade, Katy loved swimming, skiing, sailing and cycling – and was passionate about her career.
“She kind of fell into and she discovered she was actually very, very good at it,” her dad said.
“She was incredibly committed, she had a real passion for it.”
The family has now set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her kids’ education.
“On February 1 we lost our beloved Katy Hancock,” the fundraising statement reads.
“A week before, while running a Bounce class, Katy collapsed owing to the bursting of an undiscovered brain aneurysm.
“Despite the efforts of the fantastic team at Addenbrookes Neuro ICU, and her fighting as only Katy can do, she lost her battle and never recovered.
Katy, Edd and their two children. Credit: Supplied
“Katy was a force of nature – professionally a primary school teacher in Cottenham; always busy doing something for her kids, husband and wider family.
“The fund has two aims.
“To provide some replacement benches in a number of (family) favourite locations – The Orchard / Milton Country Park etc.
“And to create a fund that will be ‘ring fenced’ and grow until Dylan and Taylor reach 18 – to help with funding their further education – something very dear to Katy’s heart.”
The fundraiser has already garnered more than $38,000.
“I think it’s a lovely thing for the kids, in particular, to have somewhere to go on a nice summer’s day, the locations we found are just ideal, overlooking the lake and you can have a picnic and a dedicated bench there would be fantastic,” Katy’s dad said.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the childrens’ education. Credit: GoFundMe
“I’ve been a little surprised at how many people she touched, professionally and socially.
“The outpouring of grief, just people wanting to do something and that was the reason for the GoFundMe page.
“We thought what else can we do, because people want to do something and this allows people to do something they want to do”.
Katy has older twin sisters, but her father said she was the “dynamo” of the family.
Katy Hancock, at far right, with older twin sisters Hannah and Sian. Credit: Supplied
“She just never stopped running around looking after the kids and doing whatever was necessary and she was just incredible,” he said.
“She was very, very strong”.
What causes a brain aneurysm?
A brain aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain.
If it bursts, it can cause bleeding into the brain, which can quickly become life-threatening.
Brain aneurysms can affect fit and healthy people like Katy.
However, there are certain risk factors, such as ageing, high blood pressure, smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, blood infection, head injury or a family history.
Symptoms to look out for include headaches, vision impairment, pain above and behind the eye, sensitivity to light, numbness on one side of the face, a stiff neck, nausea and vomiting, or seizures.
If you or someone you know complains of a sudden, severe headache, loses consciousness or has a seizure, seek immediate medical treatment.
Additional reporting via Australscope
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