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Family of woman who died days after being diagnosed with tonsillitis make fundraising pledge

The family of a 20-year-old woman from Bilston who was diagnosed with tonsillitis 19 days before she died of a rare condition have set up a donation page in her memory.

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Chelsea Jackson, of Pace Crescent, a student who was rarely ill, suffered with a sore throat on December 28 last year and was given antibiotics to treat tonsillitis by her doctor.

However, her condition continued to deteriorate and after a visit to a local walk in centre, she was admitted to hospital on January 4 where she was placed into intensive care.

Miss Jackson was struggling to breathe, eat or swallow and her eyes had swollen.

Tests revealed that she was in fact suffering with the rare, life-threatening condition Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).

Chelsea Jackson died at the age of 20

The condition, which is often inherited, affects the immune system. The patient's cells are over-stimulated and being to attack each other - including tissues in the bone marrow, the liver and the brain.

The diagnosis explained why Miss Jackson was unable to fight the tonsillitis infection and became increasingly unwell. She agreed to undergo sedation on January 10 to enable her body to recover and blood transfusions were given to stabilise her condition.

Four days after her diagnosis, doctors administered powerful chemotherapy drugs to Miss Jackson. However the drugs did not take effect and a decision was made by her family to switch off her life support machine.

She died on January 17 surrounded by her mother Nicki, 41, father Scott, 41 and sister Lauren, 23. Younger sister Bo, in her early teens, was not present at the hospital.

Her distraught family have now launched a gofundme page in memory of Chelsea to try and raise awareness of the condition that destroyed her life.

Sister Lauren Jackson, created the page to raise £5,000 in order to set up a charity in her younger sister's name. So far, a total of £1,405 has been raised.

Writing on the donation page, Lauren said: "We will be doing many different sponsored events in order to raise the funds needed. We will be embarking on marathons, sky dives and a variety of other events. We would be every so grateful for any sponsors to help us get the charity up and running as soon as possible."

Chelsea, right, with her sister Lauren

The page has been shared 292 times and many of the donations have come from parents whose children have also died of the disease.

Cindy Holdal Just wrote: "You have my condolences. My 14-year-old daughter died from secondary HLH triggered by Epstein-Barr virus. We had never heard of HLH before! She lasted about a month and a half from diagnosis to death. It's a horrible disease!"

Laura Price, a family friend of the Jacksons wrote: "Thinking of all your family Lauren, will never forget us all playing together as kids."

Judith Prendergast said: "Such a lovely young lady. Taken far too early."

82 people have donated so far and the family hope that anyone who knew Chelsea or wants to know more about the condition will pledge their support.

To donate or to find out more, visit: www.gofundme.com/chelseajacksonhlh

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