Tributes have been paid to a "kind and caring" Bangor woman with a "heart of gold" who died suddenly.
The family and friends of Melissa Scott have expressed their heartache following her passing on Monday, September 19, saying that she was "one of the kindest people you could meet" and would "light up a room" with her bubbly personality and sense of humour.
Speaking to Belfast Live, her friend Natalie O'Neill said that Melissa would be dearly missed by everyone she knew and that everyone who met her would have a memory of her making them laugh.
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She said the 29-year-old had gone through a lot of struggles in her life after losing her first love Curtis when she was 17 but after putting her life back together she dedicated it to helping others and making them happy.
Natalie said: "When I first met Melissa I was her boss in Poundstretcher and I was instantly drawn to her and we quickly became very good friends.
"At the time she was struggling a lot after losing her boyfriend Curtis and she showed so much strength and courage in building herself back up again and from then she made it her life's mission to be there for others and to make them smile.
"She started her own suicide awareness page online, Suicide Awareness by Melissa, where she reached out to others and encouraged people to speak about their mental health or help them grieve the loss of a loved one.
"Melissa was the type of person who was able to make friends with anyone and she would have you laughing so much that your cheeks and stomach hurt after a few minutes of talking to her.
"She was one of the kindest and most caring people I have ever met, she just had a heart of gold and would do anything to help someone or brighten their day."
Melissa was very close with her mum Kim and sister Carly, referred to themselves as the "Three Amigos" before they were joined by her dad Scott, who she lovingly called Scotty-Boy.
Melissa and Carly enjoyed traveling together and experiencing new cultures, with Melissa joining her sister in Australia for a year where she made hundreds of friends from across the world.
Natalie continued: "Melissa grew up with her mum and sister and the three of them were as close as you could be. Melissa was always talking about them and she was the first person I knew that would call her mum 'a legend'.
"She loved travelling and meeting new people and cultures, and had so many adventures during her year away in Australia to see Carly. She was thinking about staying out there but couldn't bear being apart from her mum for so long.
"They are all terribly heartbroken at her loss and are very thankful for all of the kind messages they have received from people across the world who loved and miss Melissa.
"We are just thankful that we have countless happy memories of her that will stay with us forever."
Melissa's funeral will take place at Roselawn Crematorium following a service at S. Clarke & Son’s Funeral Church, Bangor, on Thursday, September 29.
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