THE mum of a Blackburn Rovers fan has paid tribute to her ‘very fun and lovely girl’, who died one year after being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. 

Tiana Thompson, from Darwen, collapsed two days after Christmas Day and was taken to hospital. Her condition deteriorated and she suffered a blood clot on the brain.

The former St Bede’s High School pupil went to Royal Preston Hospital for an operation but died on January 18.

The 20-year-old’s friends and family are now calling on fellow Blackburn Rovers fans to take part in a minute’s applause in the 20th minute of tomorrow night’s match against QPR.

Mum Suki Thompson said she loved football and went to Ewood Park to watch games with grandad Norman Edwards and dad David Thompson.

She said: “Tiana was very athletic and played football in the team at St Bede’s School and won the England and Lancashire Cup there. She also played netball four times a week. She was a very fun and lovely girl.

“She used to come out with some silly comments and we loved that about her.

“She was diagnosed with Crohn’s in January and it sucked the life out of her. 

"She could not walk but her best friends were great coming around to see her.

“She was family orientated and spent a lot of time with her grandad and loved to go to Rovers matches. Some people have said they want to do a minute’s applause for her at the next game and I know she would have loved the attention. She was never away from Rovers and went to the Disabled Supporters Evening with her grandad.”

Tiana, who worked as a packer at Beagle Orthopaedic on Shadsworth Business Park, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in January 2019. The condition causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive system, which can cause serious complications.

Her funeral will take place on February 7 at St Joseph’s Church in Darwen at 1pm.
It will be family flowers only but people can make a donation via Darwen Funeral Services to Crohn’s disease charities.

Suki said: “I don’t think people recognise how dangerous Crohn’s is and it can be a fatal disease. Since Tiana was diagnosed I saw how it affected her and how it had spiralled out of control. She was sleeping all the time and medication was not working for her. She had to have part of her bowel taken away and had some blood clots.”

She added: “The support I have had from family and friends has been great. It has been overwhelming.”