Firefighters rally round much-loved cleaner after mother's unexpected death
Firefighters are raising money for their cleaner to fly to Brazil to be with family after her mother died unexpectedly.
Harry Tatner is a firefighter at Worthing fire station in Ardsheal Road, where Gislaine Morconi, 56, works as a cleaner.
Mr Tatner recently learned from Ms Morconi that her mother, who lives in Brazil, had died.
She was unable to attend the funeral in Brazil and has 'very little family' in the UK.
However, Ms Morconi's colleagues have rallied around her and are raising money to fund a plane ticket so she can be with her family.
Mr Tatner, who has been a firefighter in Worthing and Bognor since 2019, said: 'She has been with us for quite a while.
'She works so hard, she's so lovely.
'She's always got a smile on her face.
'She is really well loved and everyone always has really nice things to say about her.
'The rest of her family is back in Brazil.
'Since her mum died, she has been coming into work quite upset.
Read more: Mum and son threatened with eviction for turning down 'dangerous' council flat
'She broke down in tears and told me how it was unexpected.
'She missed the funeral because it was the day after she died.
'So we came up with the idea for the Go Fund Me, to see if we can raise enough to get her back there.'
Mr Tatner said he sent Ms Morconi the link to the fundraiser and she was 'really happy and grateful'.
At the time of writing, £490 of the £800 target has been raised by the firefighters.
Ms Morconi, who lives in Worthing, said the news that her mother had died was a shock for her.
She said: "The news of my dear mother's death took me by surprise because I talked to her every day and that Friday she woke up and didn't feel well, had a heart attack, went to the hospital and died.
"Since I live in another country my brother didn't tell me anything and when I called to talk to her as I always did my brother gave me the sad news."
However, she said she is "touched and grateful" to her "friends at the fire station" for helping her fly home.
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