A popular former teacher who beat a rare form of cancer during lockdown has died unexpectedly. Tributes have been paid to Trish Isaac from friends and former pupils after her family revealed she had passed away earlier this month.
Trish, 69, had been a familiar face in the local community for decades and is best remembered for her many years teaching at a local primary school up until her retirement in the early Noughties. However, just before the pandemic struck in 2020 she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and underwent gruelling courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy before finally being given a clean bill of health last September.
But her family said Trish, from Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, started feeling unwell at the start of this month and passed away in her sleep just a few days later. Her son David added that they've yet to find out the cause of her death.
"It was not long before Covid that doctors discovered a growth behind one of mum's eyes and diagnosed her with Non-Hodgkin," said the 39-year-old carpenter. "So they rushed her in to get as much of it removed as possible before the situation in the world at large got any worse. That meant she had to go through chemotherapy and radiotherapy during lockdown, which was really tough for her. Even worse was the fact that, as restrictions eased and others were allowed to go outside again, mum was stuck indoors for a long time afterwards. It was like double lockdown for her."
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David added that he and his sister Ceri became her primary carers and tried to be with her as much as they could in order to tend to her needs.
"Eventually, though, she got over it and found a new zest for life," said David. "She'd gone from looking very ill and frail to beaming again - her sparkle just returned. But a few weeks ago she just started feeling really tired and listless. She could barely pick her head up. Then one day I went to take her a glass of water in bed, which is when I found her. She'd gone in her sleep."
Explaining that the family had been told they'll have to wait until May to find out what happened, he added, "It's hard not knowing. But there's a saving grace in that we'd been there for mum every step of way up until then. Both me and Ceri got to tell her we loved her every chance that came along so there are no regrets about missed opportunities or things left unsaid."
Trish's daughter, Ceri, 36, recalled how her mum had recently worked as a seamstress designing and making costumes for the local drama group. She said: "Within six months she went from doing one or two outfits to helping to kit out the whole troupe. She loved theatre and singing and being back amongst youngsters again. She also altered the wedding dresses of some of her ex-pupils, so she remained a presence in their lives long after their school days ended."
And tributes to Trish from those she'd inspired during her teaching career have since appeared on social media, with one calling her "empathetic, empowering and so wonderfully connected with her students." A second post read, "A lady of endless creative talents, you inspired so many through your passion for music and the arts."
A third person said: "Mrs Isaac is the reason I became a teacher. I wanted to be like her and make a difference in young peoples lives, just as she did in ours."
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