Thousands raised after sudden death of Doncaster nurse, 26, who moved out to protect sister

Danielle Housley’s parents Sharon, 48, and Simon, 47, took the heartbreaking decision to turn off their daughter’s life support machine on Tuesday (14 July) after her health continued to deteriorate after she was placed into a coma nine days previously. Her cause of death was pneumonia and organ failure, Sharon said.

Danielle, from Woodlands, who worked as a nurse, moved out of the family home she shared with her mum and nine-year-old sister Jamie-Lee in March to protect her younger sibling from coronavirus and continue supporting adults with complex needs. Jamie-Lee suffers from several life-limiting conditions and needs around-the-clock care.

"I’m still numb at the minute,” Sharon said.

"There’s no words to describe her. She was cheeky, funny, hard-working – she would do anything for anyone.”

Sharon added: “She moved out to save other people’s lives and she ended up losing her own life.”

Family friend Natalie Doherty, who started the fundraiser, said: “Dani and Jamie-Lee were like two peas in a pod. They are the best of friends, they kept each other going when things got tough.

"With Dani living at home with her mum and Jamie-Lee they were each other’s rocks. The three of them were inseparable.”

Danielle also leaves behind two brothers: Cameron, 21, and Matthew, 23. She moved back in with her family on 22 June but was taken into hospital on the same day.

Sharon said: “I took one look at her and it was like someone had painted her yellow.

"She was as healthy as anything at the end of March. We’re still trying to get our head around it.”

Jamie-Lee was unable to visit her big sister in hospital. Since Danielle’s death more than £4000 has been raised to pay for her funeral and a memorial bench in the family’s garden.

Sharon said: “We can’t thank anyone enough. It proves the kind of person Danielle was.”

Tributes have poured in from Danielle’s colleagues, friends and former university lecturers, Sharon said.

You can donate to the fundraiser on the GoFundMe website.