Two children are facing ‘unimaginable hardship’ after their mother and sister were killed in a car crash before their father died from a ‘broken heart’ just three weeks later.
Michelle Devine, 43, from Portsmouth, and Theia Papworth, seven, were killed in a single-car smash when their red Ford Fiesta left the carriageway near Hindhead tunnel in Surrey on February 22.
Michelle’s family said she had a ‘heart of gold’ and her ‘greatest achievement was her children’. Her death tragically came just four months after her sister passed away from a heart attack.
And weeks after the crash, Ted Papworth, who was ‘absolutely broken’ from the crash, died in his sleep.
Their children, Mason, 20, and Bailey, 18, are now facing homelessness as their father’s property in Spain has been snatched by the authorities because no will was in place.
The pair are currently staying with family in temporary accommodation and a GoFundMe page has been set up to help them rent a home and for funeral expenses.
Their grieving aunt Olivia Knight told the Daily Mail: ‘They are not in a good place. Their grandparents are miserable because they’ve just lost two of their daughters.
‘The family is devastated with so many losses. Michelle herself was struggling before her death because her sister had died.
Michelle Devine, 43, and Theia Papworth, seven, died in a car crash three weeks before Edward Papworth died from a ‘broken heart’
Theia, seven, were killed in a single-car smash when her mother’s red Ford Fiesta left the carriageway near Hindhead tunnel in Surrey on February 22
Michelle’s family said she had a ‘heart of gold’ and her ‘greatest achievement was her children’
‘They are too young to be dealing with it.’
She said: ‘Michelle had a great sense of humour, a heart of gold and would give you her last penny.
‘She loved all her siblings and parents so much. ‘Even the message she sent me 40 minutes before she died said ‘I love you’.
‘She had just moved back to Portsmouth to support us all after the loss of her sister Sophie who had a heart attack four months earlier.
‘Her kids were her greatest achievement but Theia and her had such a special relationship. After having such a big gap between Theia and the older two, Michelle and Theia were best friends.’
Ted and Michelle were married for 22 years and remained very close despite living separately.
The father, who lived in Spain, was ‘absolutely broken’ after the car crash and his sister came to visit from Australia to keep him company.
The pair went out for dinner one night and watched TV before falling asleep when he slumped over on his sister, dead.
His post-mortem said that his lungs had filled with fluid.
‘Ted was the best most devoted dad I have ever known,’ Olivia said.
‘Michelle and Theia were best friends,’ Michelle’s grieving sister Olivia told the Daily Mail
Ted, who lived in Spain, was ‘absolutely broken’ after the car crash and died exactly three weeks later
‘Michelle and Ted were best friends and spoke every day. Ted would play Roblox for hours every day with Theia. He would log on in Spain and play with her in the UK.
‘He was absolutely broken when I gave him the news of the crash and although he died because his lungs filled with fluid in his sleep – we all agree it was a broken heart.’
The surviving children have been left with the heavy financial burden of funeral costs and no home of their own after their father’s house was taken.
‘They were going to start working but it’s so hard,’ their aunt said.
‘There is nowhere for them to come to here. Everyone is so depressed with all the losses.’
