Nicole-Jade Campbell didn't plan on having three dependents by the time she was 22, but after her mum unexpectedly died at the age of 42, she really stepped up to care for her young siblings
A 22-year-old who is hoping to pursue a career in law has put her life on hold to raise three children, aged 16, 14 and 18 months.
Nicole-Jade Campbell stepped up to raise her teenage brothers Rocky, 16, and Leo Price, 14, when their own mum Tammy died suddenly, aged just 42. Despite already being a mum to her five-month old daughter Ruby and pursuing a career in law, she knew this was something she had to do.
Nicole-Jade, who now works as a customer assistant, and her partner Daniel Ambrus, 30, a security guard, now take care of the three kids at their home in Skegness, Lincolnshire - but it's been far from easy. Nicole-Jade, who has had to stay strong for her younger siblings during this tough time, explained: "I can't put into words the pain we've been through.
"Mum was kind and hilarious, and I could always rely on her. Her death was so sudden and it was hard to process that I didn't get to say goodbye."
But despite having to put her career on hold, it was never an option for anyone else to take care of her siblings. Nicole-Jade explained: "I would've never abandoned my brothers, but it's still a lot to take in that I now have three dependents at the age of 22."
The mum-of-one was only six weeks away from her final exam at the University of Lincolnshire, where she was studying law, when her mum fell ill unexpectedly with severe sickness and diarrhoea. Her mum was rushed to Skegness Hospital A&E after complaining of heart palpitations that left her struggling to breathe.
Thinking back to what happened, Nicole-Jade said: "Mum was still laughing and talking on the phone, but when I went to her house to check on her she didn't look herself. She kept shaking it off as a panic attack but she couldn't stand up nor had any colour in her face."
Doctors couldn't initially find anything wrong with mum-of-three Tammy, who owned her own cleaning company. She was later transferred her Pilgrim Hospital, Lincolnshire, but shortly after arriving she fell into cardiac arrest, and died 30 minutes later.
Nicole-Jade was told her mum had had a suspected heart attack, and rushed to the second hospital - but before she had even left the house she got a phone call to tell her that her mum had passed away.
"I completely broke down and I couldn't stop screaming," said Nicole-Jade. "I called my grandad who helped me break the news to the boys when they came home from the cinema and they poured their eyes out." A postmortem later revealed Tammy had been suffering from a stomach ulcer - which had then burst and caused her heart to stop.
After their mum's tragic passing, Nicola went into "protective mode" and moved her two "heartbroken" brothers into the two-bedroom bungalow she shared with her partner, so she could be close to them. It wasn't until after her mum's funeral, which took place on April 18, 2023, that Nicole-Jade realised she now had not one, but three dependents.
She had initially thought it would be a temporary solution, because she hadn't processed that her mum was "gone forever". Nicole-Jade explained: "I no longer had to care for one child, but two brothers who were completely dependent on me."
So she converted their conservatory into their bedroom, started homeschooling Rocky, who has "global development delay" and revised for her exams - all while being a new mum.
"It was tough to adjust in the beginning, but now I've accepted mum is gone, I can focus on looking after the boys," said Nicole-Jade. She graduated from university in September 2023, and now works "twilight shifts" so she can be at home during the day. She added: "My partner works day shifts so he can be at home at night.
"But this is what needed to be done - I would never abandon my brothers. I can't believe how strong they've been and I'm so proud of how they are coping."
According to Nicole-Jade, it can be tough at home as her brothers still see her as their big sister, but her plan was never to replace their mum. However, she wants to continue caring for them, and plans to apply for legal guardianship.
And Nicole-Jade isn't giving up on her law dream entirely. "When my daughter is at school age, I'm planning to pursue my law career but for now, my priority is my family," she said.
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