Big Issue seller with 'heart of gold' dies weeks before meeting grandson for the first time

A "caring" Big Issue seller with a "heart of gold" died just weeks before meeting her grandson for the first time.

Amanda Hill, 43, had worked for the Big Issue for five years on the streets of Cardiff and was well-known for her friendly demeanour.The mum-of-four was found dead in her room on the morning of March 2, 2021, at the Three Saints hotel in Llantrisant Business Park, Ynysmaerdy.

She was due to attend a house viewing with her son the day before but missed it after being late for her taxi, Pontypridd Coroners' Court heard.

Before her death Mrs Hill's son, Aiden Richards, 28, and his siblings had been planning to shower her with gifts on Mother's Day and introduce her to her grandson for the very first time.In a statement, Mrs Hill's husband Paul said: "It would be fair to say we had our ups and downs. We were separated at the time of her passing but we were still on talking terms and planning to give our relationship one last go."Amanda was a very friendly and caring person. She would give you her last and had a heart of gold. She was very grateful for everything she had and this was even the case at the height of her drug use."

Mr Hill also said his wife did not have many hobbies but "loved people and talking to them".

He added: "She could talk to a stranger for hours and really enjoyed doing this. She was a very family-oriented person who lived for her children and loved them all dearly. She enjoyed fishing and the initial calm it could provide then thrived from the excitement when she finally got a bite."Mrs Hill had been staying in temporary accommodation for around three weeks. Julie Fitzsimmons, who worked at the hotel, described her as a "very polite and pleasant" resident who "never caused any issues" for her of her colleagues. Mrs Hill had complained of a high temperature the day before her death and Ms Fitzsimmons had advised her to go to the nearby Covid test centre.

Later that day, Mrs Hill mentioned she was going to view a house with her son but the taxi she had ordered drove off after waiting too long.When she realised she had missed the taxi, Mrs Hill asked if any staff could take her to the viewing but was told this was not possible.

"It was clear she really wanted to attend with her son," Ms Fitzsimmons added.

The following morning, staff found Mrs Hill unresponsive in her bed. CCTV footage showed that no-one else had been in the room the night before.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Mrs Hill had used "a number of drugs prior to death". Mrs Hill also had a chronic lung condition called pulmonary emphysema and had survived previous overdoses.

The coroner recorded a conclusion of "drug-related death" and said Mrs Hill had a "protracted history of drug dependency" and was under the care of the area's substance misuse team.Lisa Seaborn, a substance misuse nurse, said Mrs Hill had been prescribed methadone (an opioid substitute) after she revealed in January 2021 she was using "around £10 per week of crack cocaine", as she had been finding lockdown hard and trying to keep herself occupied.

Before her death, Mrs Hill had spoken about not being happy in the hotel and she had been preparing to temporarily move in with her son. Following the inquest Mrs Richard's son said: "It's nice to finally have a line drawn. Hopefully we can move on with our lives. It's been quite traumatic for all of us."

Mr Richards said he was concerned about the negative affect lockdown had on her mental health and believes the drop in support may have contributed to increased drug use.

"Not being able to have the face-to-face counselling sessions had a massive impact," he said.

"People sometimes forget about the older generation when it comes to mental health. There is a lot of stuff said around young people's mental health but it affects the whole of society."