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Family pay tribute to brave Georgina

THE family of Georgina Pearce have paid an emotional tribute to the 'compassionate' and 'funny' teenager and would do any-thing to still provide 24-hour love and care for her.

Family pay tribute to brave Georgina
Family pay tribute to brave Georgina / Guernsey Press

Georgina, whose battle against an extremely rare disease has left a lasting impression on so many islanders, died at her family home on Monday, aged 19.

Diagnosed with the rare degenerative condition Niemann-Pick Type C when she was 11 in 2008, she is the only person in the Channel Islands ever to have been linked with the disease, so rare there are just 500 cases worldwide.

Her memory will live on through the charity, Georgina's Gang, which will continue to support other young people needing similar support and care.

Speaking yesterday her parents, Ian and Tania, said first and foremost they knew Georgina would want them to thank all of the generous people who helped to create a loving family environment in which she could spend the last years of her life being cared for.

They described her as a beautiful child who appeared normal until the age of about six, when she started losing some of her abilities.

The devastating diagnosis came at 11 and by this stage she had deteriorated significantly further, with seizures becoming a regular occurrence.

Read the family's full tribute in today's Guernsey Press