MORE than £6,500 has been raised to help three children whose teaching assistant mum died suddenly.

Erin Hooper, 45 a ‘much-loved’ special needs teaching assistant at Hazeldown Primary School in Teignmouth, died at the end of the summer term.

Her family, friends and colleagues have been fund-raising to support Erin’s three children Harley, Tyler and Keira, aged between 12 and 15 who are now being cared for by their extended family.

She died suddenly and unexpectedly at school from natural causes, despite showing no signs of illness even that morning.

Her work was as a Special Educational Needs Teaching Assistant, a role in which she was said to have had a ‘true gift’.

Her sister Kylie Waters has set up a Go Fund Me appeal to help provide the children with financial stability and support.

She said: ‘We are all navigating this unbearable pain and grief, but would like to thank everyone for the incredible outpouring of love, kindness and support we have received.

‘We are holding each other close as a family, and it brings us comfort to know how deeply loved Erin is and how many lives she touched in the most positive and precious way.

‘Their lives have been turned upside down in the most unimaginable way, and they will now be cared for by their family as they try to navigate life without their wonderful mum.

‘So many people have reached out asking how they can help the children and with this in mind, we have set up this page for anyone who would like to contribute towards their future and help provide them with some stability and support during this incredibly difficult time.

‘Any donation will go towards helping the children with the costs and needs that arise as they begin this new chapter of their lives without Erin.’

And since Erin’s death, her family has been raising money for Hazeldown Primary Schools’ PTA in her memory.

A PTA spokesman said: ‘Erin and her family will always have a very special place in our hearts.

‘We feel truly privileged to be able to continue working alongside her family and friends, supporting them through this incredibly difficult time.

‘Thank you to everyone who has already shown their love, kindness and support. It means so much to Erin’s family, and to all of us who were lucky enough to know her.’

Colleagues at Teign Tuition tutoring expressed their ‘devastation’ after the ‘sudden passing of Erin, a much-loved local teaching assistant who tragically lost her life due to natural causes while at work in school.

‘Erin loved supporting children with special educational needs and had a particular affinity for children with autism.

‘Her children are surrounded by love and family, but they have lost the financial support their mum provided for them.

‘This fundraiser is about helping to give Erin’s children some financial security for the future as they begin to rebuild their lives without their mum.’