A mum-of-two who worked to provide the best for her daughters and the vulnerable people she supported is continuing to bring people together, even in death.
Kind, caring and fiercely determined Sophie Doel learned her breast cancer diagnosis was terminal on her youngest daughter's birthday.
But the 40-year-old would not be deterred from studying for her Level Five NVQ, even when she was in the middle of chemotherapy.
“Everything she did was to provide a better life for the girls,” said Sophie’s husband, Jon Doel.
“She was brilliant. She was so friendly and caring by nature.” Sophie spent much of her life looking after others, having had many roles working with disabled adults and children.
Jon continued: “She would always give people the time and care they needed. She was a great person, a great friend and a great mother.”
After Sophie died on June 4, her family created a fundraiser page, hoping to raise enough money to give Sophie the memorable funeral she deserves.
Just one week on, almost £2,500 has been donated by people who were touched by Sophie’s kindness.
“Mum is continuing to bring people together, which is what she always strived to do,” said Sophie’s daughter, Alicia, 19.
Sophie was born in southeast London on June 24, 1982. Tragically, she lost her father to cancer when she was just 13, at which point the family moved to Suffolk, settling in Haverhill.
Sophie and Jon met “the old-fashioned way” in a nightclub, both on a night out with friends in Newmarket.
Jon caught sight of her from across the dance floor and was instantly smitten. The couple were together ever since.
Jon had lived in Bury St Edmunds all his life, and Sophie soon moved out of her shared house and in with him and his parents, while they saved up for a place of their own.
Sophie soon discovered she was pregnant and, just three months after she and Jon moved into their own home in Bury St Edmunds, Alicia came along.
Jon and Sophie tied the knot on September 3, 2005, with 18-month-old Alicia as the guest of honour.
The couple’s youngest daughter, Lily, arrived in 2011, completing the family of four.
Sophie was passionate about caring for others. She worked a whole host of different jobs in this field, including as a carer for a family with three disabled adults, as a job coach for disabled students at West Suffolk College, and working with disabled children at the Riverwalk School.
She had a particular knack for supporting children with behavioural issues, said Jon, this being “her forte”.
Sophie’s last role was as a service manager for Consensus Support, which cares for disabled adults.
She spent the last year studying for her Level Five NVQ in Leadership and Management in adult care and health and social care, studying even on the days when chemotherapy and radiation treatments left her too unwell to leave her sofa.
Sophie was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in April 2022. Although she was initially given the all-clear in February, Sophie learned that her cancer was terminal on May 17, her daughter Lily’s 12th birthday.
Sophie died at home in the early hours of June 4, with Jon and Alicia by her side.
“She was amazing,” said Alicia. “I didn’t realise how much she did for us, until now when she’s no longer here.”
Jon and Alicia are grateful to everyone who has donated to their fundraiser, as they can now give Sophie a fitting funeral.
“We want to make it as special as we can,” said Alicia. “She really deserves it.”
To donate, visit gofundme.com and search 'Sophie Doel', or click here.
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