Son's moving tribute to 'brilliant' teaching assistant and mother of five after death aged 49

Donations have been pouring in to help pay for the funeral of Anne Harper after her sudden death earlier this month.

Miss Harper was well-known as a teaching assistant at Garrett Hall Primary School in Tyldesley, where she could use her “passion” to help children progress.

She is survived by her five children, aged 19 to 31.

Son Kian Hope, 20, said: “When she died I had over 300 private messages, which was really flattering.

“My mum was a really gracious lady, caring, charismatic. She had all the components of a brilliant human being.

“She had a love for kids and that’s why she was in the job she was in. Her passion for seeing children progress really inspired her.”

Miss Harper was born in Mosley Common and lived in Astley with her family.

She became a teaching assistant 10 years ago, initially working at St George’s Central CE Primary School in Tyldesley before moving to Garrett Hall.

Kian, who is at university studying to be a teacher, said: “Her passion for seeing children improve and seeing children grow as individuals was something you want in this world. She had that spark in her.

“She was a positive, caring, family-orientated and loving woman.

“I was a lucky one who had a mother that was so brilliant in every respect.”

Miss Harper, who was single, loved spending time with her family, listening to music and socialising.

Kian said: “She liked spending time with family and cooking. She was very experimental, even if it could have set the kitchen on fire!

“She loved being out, she was a very sociable, bubbly person. She just enjoyed living life.”

Miss Harper became unwell in November and went to hospital four times before being admitted in December.

Doctors found she was in organ failure and sadly she died at Royal Bolton Hospital on January 9.

With no will or funds, Kian thought he would need to secure a loan to pay for a funeral.

But instead more than £4,000 has been donated through an online appeal set up by his friend.

He said: “Never would I have thought that it would make more than £4,000. I would have been grateful with £100. I was flabbergasted.”

Funds are still coming in, with any surplus cash being donated to the ward where she was treated.

The funeral will be held on February 4 at St George’s Church in Tyldesley, followed by burial at Tyldesley Cemetery.

Numbers are limited due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Kian hopes it will still be a celebration of his mother’s life.

Kian said: “Anyone that cares and knew my mum, please raise a glass for her that night. That’s something my mum would always want. She wouldn’t want people being sad.”

Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/f/help-kian-give-his-mum-the-funeral-she-deserves

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