Appeal launched for horse's upkeep after devoted owner died suddenly aged 42
A fundraising campaign has been launch to provide care for a horse whose owner died suddenly leaving her family in shock.
Clare Banks, 42, suffered a heart attack in her shower but spent seven days on life support before dying in hospital a week later.
The mother-of-one and lifelong animal lover's horse Tallulah is at a Walsall Wood stables. Her family requested no flowers for last Friday's funeral but to contribute towards the costs her horse which they will now incur without her devotion and love.
Her friend Louise Jordan launched a GoFundMe account for the upkeep of the horse so her family can still visit the stables and prevent the horse being put down if a buyer cannot be found.
She said: "Clare's horse is missing her so much. Clare was just 42 when she unexpectedly lost her life. The family have requested no flowers- but instead are asking for donations to help look after her beloved horse who’s missing her so much."
Within 48 hours nearly 40 people have donated £1,360 to the GoFundMe appeal to ensure the 22-year-old horse's future is secure.
Clare's partner of 20 years and father of her son Mikey, Simon Jordan, from Kingstanding, has been overwhelmed with the response to Clare's death.
He said: "So many people have offered their love and support. There is not a lot that can be said at the moment, we are all in shock.
"She had a heart attack in the shower, I am a first aider and our neighbour is a police officer, and we both tried to revive her. However, it was too long and she ended up on life-support for a week at the hospital before her body and brain eventually gave up."
Simon, a 47-year-old asbestos removal manager, has a house full of animals due to Clare's insistence of saving any injured animal she came across.
He said: "She was like Dr Doolittle, I've never known anyone love or care for animals. When she was a girl she found an injured squirrel and managed to tame her and have it as a pet for years, its unheard of to that with a wild squirrel.
"She was one of a kind, I've so many pets now, she would always get her way when it come saving a dog from being put down. She should have been a vet."
He added: "She even convinced me to get two horses, not one as agreed, when she told me Tallulah's sister needed a home too. And she presented the horse to her friend as a mother's day present, because she was like that."
"However, we need to ensure Tallulah is looked after so it can stay with its sister at the stables in Walsall Wood. So many people have come forward, because she touched so many lives."
To donate to the appeal visit the GoFundMe page here or search "Keep Clare's horse" on the fundraising site.
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