LEANNE PANNELLTributes have paid to teenager Leanne Pannell who lost her battle with a progressive illness on 2 January, 2008.
Leanne Pannell, 19, of Exmouth, Devon, died at home with members of her family present.
When Miss Pannell was 13, she woke up ill one morning and was eventually diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, a rare lung disorder in which the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery rises far above normal levels.
It was this that led to a suspected heart attack. Although the outcome was expected, it still came as a shock to family and friends.
Her parents Mark, 44, and Tracie, 40, who run a building and contracting firm, received dozens of cards with messages of condolence following her death.
Miss Pannell was a member of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK. The group’s spokesman Paul Pennington said: "Leanne was not only a very brave young lady, she was also an inspiration to all who knew her or knew of her.
"She and her wonderful family have done so much not only to raise vital awareness of pulmonary hypertension but also to provide help, support and understanding to others with or affected by the condition. She will be sorely missed."
Her mother said: "She made friends around the country with people who had the same illness, and some of them died. She went through a lot physically and emotionally."
Curtis, 16, lost not only his sister but his best friend. He said: "We spent a lot of time together. She would always make me smile. She always put other people first."
Sympathy was also extended to Miss Pannell’s boyfriend of two and a half years, Chris Hopkins, 20.
Before the onset of her illness, she was very active, fit and healthy. She was a skilled scuba diver. She competed in national gymnastics championships, and she was a brown belt in kick boxing. She was also a 6,000m swimmer, played tag rugby and beach volleyball, and loved dancing.
She did all these activities and was still a straight A student.
Her illness limited her activities as she could not do anything physical that would overwork her heart as she would pass out. She spent most of her time with her car, a black Honda Civic Sport, cruising along the seafront, or sitting there.
"Her car was her passion because it gave her normality," her mother said.
Miss Pannell voluntarily mentored students at Exmouth Community College, where she completed her own A-levels in psychology and sociology.
Her psychology teacher at college, Rob Rooksby, said: "She was very dedicated and professional in her role as a voluntary assistant.
"She was a very natural people person who demonstrated a genuine talent for working with young people. She will be sadly missed."
Her mother added: "She was so unique in how she coped and fought back. She never gave up — she had a zest for life. She never said ‘Why me?’ or felt sorry for herself. She felt there were people worse off than her."
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