The family of a mum who died on board a flight to Britain had been "so excited" about returning to the UK after 15 years in Hong Kong, neighbours revealed.
Midwife and "one of a kind" mum Helen Rhodes, 46, was flying with her husband, 49, and two kids as part of a "new adventure" returning home after spending 15 years living in Hong Kong.
A few hours into the flight home, Mrs Rhodes was found unresponsive and couldn't be resuscitated then tragically passed away in her sleep.
For the remaining eight hours of the flight, Mrs Rhodes' broken children sat next to their mum in a "breathless sleep" until they landed in Frankfurt.
If you want to help raise money for the family, visit their GoFundMe page here
John Moore, a neighbour for years to Mr and Mrs Rhodes, told the Mail Online that Mrs Rhodes' mother said her daughter died of a "suspected heart attack."
The 87-year-old said it is a terrible tragedy and her mother went and broke the news in tears.
"I just can't understand it. She was so fit and healthy and she worked in the medical profession", Mr Moore continued.
The neighbour understands that they were very excited about returning home to renovate their family home and the community were excited to welcome them back, particularly Mr Moore who used to collect the post.
Another neighbour, who also knew the family added: "It's really, really sad. They were really nice. They used to come back every summer."
They said Mrs Rhodes' side of the family live nearby and whenever they returned they would say they were having a great life there, always talking so positively about her profession and the children were fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin.
The family reportedly had not been home in three years because of coronavirus so were really excited to be reunited with family again after such a long time.
The neighbour was looking forward to going round for a cup of tea. Now, instead, they have gone round with a condolences card.
Mrs Rhodes' elderly parents from Berkshire were too upset to talk about the tragedy.
Jayne Jeje, who set up a fundraiser to help the grieving family said that while living in Hong Kong's Tung Chung area, Helen became the "pulse of her community" and would be stopped on the street by all the people she knew.
She became an invaluable member of a motherhood group in the district and would be their point of reference for anything medical-related, Jayne said.
In a tribute towards the end of the post, Jayne added: "This fundraiser is to honour this lovely woman who was loved by so many, a dear friend who touched so many people.
"We can only hope she knew how much she meant to us., and how her void can never be filled. How this loss is so painful and surreal.
"The grief we feel is paralysing. Yet, we feel lucky to have known her."
