A WOMAN has spoken of her “devastation” after losing four family members in the space of six years.

Natalie Cribb, 44, from Seaford, lost three of her sisters and her niece between 2011 and 2017.

“It is devastating to lose them,” she said.

“It’s been really tough.

“It was like I’d lost all those memories.”

For Natalie, the tragedy started in 2011 when her niece Megan passed away from a heart defect.

She collapsed while working at a coffee shop in Eastbourne.

And Natalie recalls driving her sister Jane, Megan’s mother, to the hospital once they got the news.

She said: “Me and Jane got the call.

“Driving to the hospital was the longest 25 minutes of my life.

“I pulled up at the hospital and my eldest sister Yvonne was there.

“To witness your sister losing her daughter...that one was hard to watch.”

A year later Yvonne would die of breast cancer, the 45-year-old was diagnosed with the disease five years previously.

Just two years after that Mandy would die from pneumonia at 43.

And in 2017 Jane would also lose a battle to breast cancer and die aged 48.

Natalie said: “With me being the youngest of the four of us it turns into quite a big responsibility. I’ve become an expert at arranging funerals.”

But Natalie is now hoping to turn tragedy into triumph as she takes part in four tough challenges in memory of her sisters and niece.

The money raised from all her challenges will go to the charity You Raise Me Up, which was founded by Jane after the death of Megan.

The charity aims to help “raise funds to support families that have suffered the loss of a teenage child”.

Natalie has already completed the Brighton Half Marathon, which took place on February 24. That race was run in memory of Jane.

And Natalie said that she felt like her sister was there with her during the race.

She said: “At mile 11 I wanted to cry because I didn’t want to let her down. It felt like she was there with me while I was running. I wanted to do it for her.”

In addition to the Brighton race, Natalie will also be taking part in the Gatwick Half Marathon in May, the South Coast Triathlon in August. She will also do a skydive in June in honour of Mandy.

To find out more about You Raise Me Up visit www.youraisemeup.co.uk