Sister's moving tribute to Chesterfield street pastor and advocate for eating disorders who has died aged 34

Emma Duffy, 34, died at Chesterfield Royal Hospital after medical staff attempted CPR when they found she was unresponsive. She had been admitted to hospital the previous week following a couple of collapses in an outpatient clinic.

Her younger sister Amy said: "Whilst we knew that she was never going to make it to old age, we had no idea that the day it happened was going to be the day. There was no indication from her bloods that we were going to lose her. All of the signs suggested that she was going to come home."

Emma had lived with Amy in New Bolsover for nine years. Amy said: "I loved all of the things we did together. She turned everything into an adventure. One of my happiest memories is kayaking down the fjords with her last September. We weren't sure she would ever be well enough to come abroad with us again, so it was amazing when she made it on holiday with us for my 30th birthday.

"Emma was passionate and lively. She had a dark sense of humour that helped her cope with her health conditions. She loved with all of her soul and wanted to fight for people who didn't have a voice."

An avid volunteer, Emma was a street pastor in Chesterfield town centre. Amy said: "She really wanted to do this because about a decade ago street pastors had found her after she had taken a drug overdose (in an attempt to end her life) and got her help. She also volunteered at Bolsover youth Inc. She just loved helping people and trying to share the love of Jesus with others. She wanted to reach people who might otherwise be forgotten or ignored and to meet them where they were at. Some days she would go straight from an inpatient stay to volunteering because she knew her 'well days' couldn't be guaranteed."

Emma, who grew up in Walton, was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos, an eating disorder, depression and complex PTSD. Her eating disorder began when she was nine years old with a dream of being a dancer and overheard a comment about the need to be slim to pursue dancing as a career. Amy said: "From that point, she started throwing away her lunch and hiding food whenever she could. It was very hidden and as a family we weren't aware of the full extent of this until she turned 16. She was presenting with lots of physical health issues throughout childhood, such as passing out, which we later learned were a result of her eating disorder."

After leaving school in Newbold at 18, Emma volunteered in orphanages in Ghana. Amy said: "She came home unrecognisable after three months, as she was giving the children in the orphanages her food and not eating herself.

"She went to university in Teesside when she was 19 to study children's nursing. She had to leave the course after the first year due to her health."

Emma was sectioned under the Mental Health Act several times over the ensuing eight years. She was detained in Chesterfield, Barnsley, Teesside, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield and Northampton, wherever a bed was available.

Amy said: "From the ages of about 19-27 we were always worried that she would die from suicide. We loved her so much and just couldn't bear to see her struggle. Even when she was 70 miles away in units, we still went to see her several times a week because we just wanted to know how loved she was."

A turning point came when Emma was admitted to The Retreat in York. Amy said: "The Retreat completely changed her outlook on life and since 2016, she had not attempted suicide. This was the only unit she's ever been on that had daily therapeutic intervention. It was life changing for Emma and up until her death, she used the skills she was taught there to support herself out of hospital. They gave us 'our Emma' back and gave her the fight that she kept until the end. Since going to York and finding faith, Emma gained a real love for life. She became much more than her eating disorder/mental illness and tried to make the most out of every situation."

For the past two years Emma had worked as a patient representative for the Royal College of Psychiatry. Amy said: "She educated psychiatrists and other professionals about eating disorders and how faith and spirituality can be utilised in services. Her favourite part was being able to feed into the services that had previously let her down in her own journey. She felt empowered by this and loved having a say in trying to make things better for the future."

Amy and her dad Alan have been comforted by the generosity and support of the community since Emma's death on March 4. "We've been truly blessed by the outpouring of love," said Amy. "People from our church here in Chesterfield have been checking in with my dad and I, offering meals, prayers and kindness. We've had practical support to start sorting out Emma's things. We've also received so many flowers, messages and cards from people around the country; friends and people who had never met her, but whom she had helped online to fight for their own care."

A Gofundme appeal has been set up by Lindsay Bruce, a friend of Emma's and her old pastor in Teesside, to help Alan and Amy with the cost of the funeral, a burial plot and a headstone. So far £3,761 has been raised towards its £9,000 goal. Amy said: "We would like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts who have contributed to the Gofundme. It has lifted a huge burden from us and allowed us to concentrate on Emma and her wishes. She wanted to be buried near our mum who died in 2020 and this will support us to do just that."

The funeral service will be held at St Thomas Church, Brampton on April 11 at 11am, followed by burial at Spital cemetery at 12 noon.

Amy said: "Emma will be remembered by my dad and I in everything we do. She will have a tribute up at our allotment and we hope to make her grave into a fairy garden. She had one in our garden at home and loved buying and creating things for it.

"Emma loved crafting and regularly had craft stalls to raise money for charities. Most recently, she was raising money for the Chesterfield Royal Hospital charity."

*To contribute to the Gofundme appeal, visit www.gofundme.com/f/help-celebrate-the-life-of-emma-louise-duffy.