A BRIDE-to-be choked to death on holiday just weeks before her wedding, her family say.
Sophie Runkee and her fiancé Jj Warner had taken her three children on a trip to Turkey after he was diagnosed with skin cancer.
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The “memory-making” getaway was to make sure the kids, aged 14, nine, and 11 weeks, spent some precious time together before Jj started treatment, Sophie’s relatives said.
But their “once-in-a-life-time” holiday turned into a nightmare when her body was found on the balcony of their hotel.
It is thought the 34-year-old, from Hull, had fallen unconscious after a night out and choked on her own vomit.
She had been dancing in local bars with her daughter on July 11 while Jj stayed in with the boys.
He said: “We wanted the kids to remember this summer for the right reasons despite everything that’s going on, and we were all having a great time on holiday in Turkey.
“Sophie went out on the Thursday evening. She was upset over my diagnosis so I encouraged her to go out with Alicia to blow off some steam while I looked after the boys.
“She just wanted to forget about everything and have a good night with her daughter.
“She had an excessive amount to drink. She came back and collapsed on the balcony outside, she was sick and choked on her vomit.”
Tragically, it was Sophie’s daughter who found her unresponsive.
Jj began CPR and managed to keep her alive until she was rushed to hospital.
But there was nothing more doctors could do to save her, and Sophie died less than 24 hours later.
“It’s difficult to put into words what has happened,” Jj said.
“We’re all still in shock. Sophie wasn’t just my wife-to-be, she was my best friend.
“We were together 24 hours a day; we were never ever ever apart.
“She was the love of my life, she was my soul mate.”
My darling angel, the love of my life, nothing will ever be the same
Jj Warner
The couple were due to get married in Scotland in six weeks’ time after bringing the wedding forward following Jj’s cancer diagnosis.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Sophie’s friends to help pay for her funeral and support Jj and the children.
In a heartbreaking tribute, Jj said: “My darling angel, the love of my life, nothing will ever be the same.
“You will be forever in our hearts, we will miss you forever.
“I will be laid to rest with you when it’s my time and we will be together again.
“Until then I promise to take care of our babies for the rest of my life, and try and do as good a job as you did.
“You will always be their mum, nobody will ever be able to take your place.”
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Can you spot the cancerous moles from the harmless ones?
IF you’ve spotted a new mole or lingering mark on your skin, don’t be too quick to dismiss it.
It’s important to know what your skin looks like normally, to helps you notice any unusual changes.
The ABCDE rule can be followed to assess the health of a mole.
If your mole falls into the following, it’s worth getting checked:
- Asymmetrical – melanomas usually have two very different halves and are an irregular shape
- Border – melanomas usually have a notched or ragged border
- Colours – melanomas will usually be a mix of two or more colours
- Diameter – most melanomas are usually larger than 6mm in diameter
- Enlargement or elevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be a melanoma
Most melanomas don’t give you symptoms like pain or itching.
Meanwhile, some non-cancerous moles or abnormal patches of skin can be itchy.
So having some of these changes on their own doesn’t mean you definitely have melanoma, but you should still get it checked out.
There are two main types of skin cancer – non melanoma skin cancer and melanoma skin cancer.
Non-melanoma skin cancer includes:
- Basal cell skin cancer – this is also called basal cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell skin cancer – this is also called squamous cell carcinoma
There are a few different types of melanoma too:
- Superficial spreading melanoma
- Nodular melanoma
- Lentigo maligna melanoma
Find out more about distinguishing moles here.
