The family of an Accrington teacher who died while pregnant after suffering from a rare pregnancy sickness condition have set up a JustGiving page in her memory.

Jess Cronshaw, 26, was 28 weeks and five days pregnant with her daughter, Elsie, when she and Elsie died earlier this month, after Jess had been suffering with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) since being six weeks pregnant.

As well as being a ‘driven, dedicated, and passionate’ primary school teacher, Jess had launched her own online fitness business.

Her family said: “Jess was the most active person, she was always either at the gym or out walking up the local coppice, or going on bigger hikes such as the Yorkshire three peaks.

“She was just the life and soul of anywhere she went, she found true happiness in her life.”

In memory of Jess and Elsie, her cousin Steff Jane set up a Just Giving page to raise funds for Pregnancy Sickness Support, which is a charity who support women suffering from HG which is a debilitating and potentially life-threatening pregnancy sickness condition.

HG is a severe form of nausea and vomiting while pregnant, where a woman may be sick many times a day and be unable to keep food or drink down, which can impact on their daily life.

The illness, which significantly impairs the ability of women suffering, affects one to three per cent of women but there is currently limited research on HG, which is why Jess was so passionate about raising awareness of the debilitating condition.

Speaking on Jess’ advocacy, her family added: “It was always going to be something Jess was going to pursue following giving birth and recovering from HG in terms of raising awareness of this debilitating condition and the lack of adequate knowledge, support and care that fellow sufferers of HG receive.

“Jess, even when bed bound, used her Instagram platform to share the charity Pregnancy Sickness Support and all the amazing and essential support and lifelines they offer to HG sufferers.

“We as a family don’t ever want any HG sufferer to experience what Jess experienced and to go through what loss and grief we are all facing now as a family. This is the start of Jess and Elsie’s legacy.”

So far, more than £12,700 has been raised for Pregnancy Sickness Support in memory of Jess and Elsie.

The money raised is being donated directly to the charity to support the vital work they do to help sufferers of HG.

Jess’s family said: “To see how many contributions, heartfelt comments, and well wishes from family, friends, loved ones of Jess, colleagues, the HG sufferers community and others worldwide have provided on our just giving page for the charity Pregnancy Sickness Support means the world to the family.

“We have raised £11,457 in just over one weekend. It has provided some comfort to the family at this very difficult time.

"All we can do now is to continue to raise the profile and awareness of the severe condition HG and the catastrophic implications and consequences of this awful condition.

“Our wish is to continue to raise the necessary funds to the only UK registered charity that has volunteers that truly know what it is like to experience this severe condition, we need more research to improve the care and quality of support to sufferers of HG.

“2023 is going to be a busy time for Jess’s family, partner Eddie, friends and loved ones to continue fund raising and making necessary change.”

You can donate to the Just Giving page here.