THIS is one of the last pictures taken of a Bolton mum, who died just hours after celebrating her fiance's birthday.

Mum-of-two Jennifer Higson, aged 44, collapsed in a hotel room on November 14.

For months her death remained a mystery but now her family have learned it was the result of a pulmonary embolism.

Her partner of 20 years Stephen Morris has now spoken of the heartbreak and how a time of celebration turned to tragedy.

He said: "It was horrendous. I'm in total shock and heartbroken. She was healthy, happy and went to the gym three times a week. She never smoked and we only drank at weekends.

"She saved up for six months to surprise me with a meal at Manchester House. It was at the chef's table and our friends were there. We had a great night and then went to bed.

"When we woke up at 7.15am she told me she had pins and needles in her legs and went to the toilet. The next minute I heard her crash on to the floor."

Miss Higson recovered but fell unconscious again when paramedics arrived. They treated her at the scene, with Mr Morris doing CPR, before she was taken to hospital.

Despite being able to revive her heart for a matter of seconds, it was decided there was nothing else that could be done.

Mr Morris, father to their 13-year-old daughter Holly Hope, said: "She just woke up to die.

"I couldn't believe what was happening. Everything went in slow motion, it was a nightmare."

Miss Higson, from Deane, was mother to 24-year-old son Corey as well as Holly, who was born three months early at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

A former employee at The Bolton News, Miss Higson ran a sandwich shop in Wigan Road for five years and was working as an out of school carer at the time of her death.

A Bolton girl born and bred, she was one of four siblings and met builder Mr Morris, aged 53, from Lostock, during a night out at the former Ritzys nightclub.

The couple were not only life-long partners but also best friends.

Sharing a house together in Westhoughton, they had been building a home together near Plodder Lane over the past 10 years.

Mr Morris said: "We had so many things planned. I am so lost without her.

"Her whole life was for her friends and family. She was the life and soul of the party, she liked dancing and was always smiling.

"She was just a beautiful person, everyone loved her. She was always caring for others and I don't think I ever saw her unhappy. She was so lovely.

"Hundreds of friends turned up for her send off.

An initial investigation into her death was inconclusive and but it has now been found to be the result of a mix of deep vein thrombosis, where a blood clot develops within a deep vein in the body, and pulmonary embolism, when a piece of blood clot breaks off into the bloodstream and blocks one of the blood vessels in the lungs.

Mr Morris says there was no indication his fiancee of 10 years was ill except she had been complaining of shortness of breath.

Following her funeral on November 30, friends and family have been raising money for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Bolton which cared for Holly.

When Miss Higson was pregnant with Holly, she was rushed to hospital with pre-eclampsia at 26 weeks and had an emergency c-section.

Mr Morris praised the staff and their work as "amazing" and said he wanted to raise the funds - set up by Corey's girlfriend Paige - to honour his fiancee's life and how she cared for others.

To find out more, and to donate, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/paige-sapherson-lawrence.