“MUMMY is asleep on the bathroom floor and we cannot wake her up.”Those were the chilling but innocent words of three young children to their grandmother after they found their bright and bubbly mum, 28-year-old Adell Nicholas, collapsed and dead at their home.

“MUMMY is asleep on the bathroom floor and we cannot wake her up.”

Those were the chilling but innocent words of three young children to their grandmother after they found their bright and bubbly mum, 28-year-old Adell Nicholas, collapsed and dead at their home.

Adell's mum Ross Nicholas said: “They just kept saying they had tried to wake her up but couldn't - I just felt physically sick.

“I went upstairs praying she would just be unconscious.

“I just looked at her and I knew. She was in the recovery position and her eyes were closed. She looked as if her lights had gone out.”

Today Adell's death is still a mystery - a post mortem has failed to reveal any answers for her devastated family and heartbroken fiancé Martin Spike.

The couple were madly in love and were getting ready to move in together, and were due to get married later this year.

Her three children - Louisha , seven, Kyle, four, and Keelee , two - are now being cared for by the family and said to be coping as well as can be expected.

The full impact of their mum's death has not really hit home yet and teachers and playgroup leaders are keeping a close eye on the older two.

Ross said: “Louisha knows what has happened, but the two younger ones think they are just staying with nanny for a while. When they ask about mummy, we say mummy is a star or an angel looking after us.

Adell, of King Street, Walton, Felixstowe, had had a miscarriage ten days before she died, but doctors assured her she had no health problems associated with this.

Then about a week later she started feeling very tired and ill.

Ross said: “We all thought she had a very bad cold coming on - she was just so tired.

“She rang me and said although she was tired she had not been to sleep for 24 hours and felt absolutely awful and unable to cope. I collected the children and took them out for the day to give her a chance to get a few hours' sleep.

“When I went back about 4pm, she was in so much pain and could not stop being sick. We called the doctor and insisted a doctor came out to see her. She was in agony.”

The doctor gave Adell an injection, advised her to take paracetamol and drink flat coke and lemonade. Before going home, Ross put the children to bed and settled Adell on the settee, wrapped in a blanket with the phone next to her, so she could sleep.

At 5.40am the following morning she received a phone call from Adell's neighbour saying he was worried because the children had been screaming for more than an hour. Ross went round immediately and found her daughter dead.

Ross said: “Everyone is just devastated - people cannot believe she has died. She was such a healthy girl.

“The post mortem didn't find any sign of anything and the coroner has told us her death was not suspicious. They have now taken samples of blood and tissue for further investigation, but these will not be back for some while.

“But until we know what happened, until we know why she died, we cannot put things to rest.”

second story:

ADELL Nicholas was a bright and bubbly young woman, a full-time mum who adored her three children, and was devoted to her friends and family.

Her mum Ross Nicholas said: “She had a heart of gold and if you were in trouble, she was the first one there wanting to help.”

Adell, who had two brothers, Damion and Robert, lived in Felixstowe most of her life, attending Fairfield Infants School, Colneis Junior and Deben High.

After leaving school she worked as an office temp for a company at the port, but didn't like the work and so headed for the bright lights of London, where her brother Robert lived. She worked for a while in a McDonald's before returning to Felixstowe.

Her first child Louisha was born when she was 21, followed later by Kyle and Keelee, and she devoted herself to bringing up her family. Five years ago, she also lost a daughter Chantelle, who was three months old, to cot death.

Ross said: “My daughter was a very strong, independent woman, and would always make her views known.

“She was bright and bubbly, she would get into mischief occasionally, but she was well-liked and had many, many friends.

“Everyone will really miss her so much. The whole family is devastated, especially her fiancé Martin.

“She had had a rough couple of years when it came to romance until she met Martin - they were so much in love and I have never seen her so happy. The children absolutely dote on him.”

A funeral service is to be held at the United Reformed Church, Orwell Road, Felixstowe, on Monday March 6 at 11.30am.

Did you know Adell - would you like to pay tribute to her? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk