Emma Atkinson, 38, died following a fall from a Leeds tower block and a friend has told how the pregnant mum had been “excited about her future” after having a “tough life”
A heavily pregnant mum had a “tough life” but was “excited about her future” said a friend after she tragically fell to her death from a tower block.
Emma Atkinson, 38, died following a fall at Shakespeare Towers, Burmantofts, Leeds, on Tuesday morning. According to her loved ones, she was visiting her father at his flat when she leaned out of the window to smoke a cigarette. She is said to have tragically plunged from the window.
Her family say investigators are looking into whether she opened the lounge window fully and leaned too far, with her father being unable to stop the fall. Her baby Posie was miraculously delivered safely in hospital and has been described as a “little fighter” while friends have also said that Emma was optimistic about the future having had a difficult life.
She reportedly had found happiness with boyfriend Michael Swanson, 33, who has said he will put his criminal past behind him as he becomes a father to Posie who is currently recovering in hospital with a fractured leg.
“Emma had a tough life. She had four kids aged between 19 and a toddler and was about to become a mum again at 38. Michael has a past but has stayed out of trouble recently and they were excited about having their daughter together. She wasn’t depressed. She had no reason to take her own life. She was excited about her future,” said a family friend. She spoke following rumours online that the mum could have been depressed and decided to take her own life, reports the Mail
And now Lauren Mitchell, the sister of Posie’s dad Michael said he’s ready to ‘step up’ to the role of father in a Facebook post. She wrote: “Our beautiful baby girl, Posie, we are all praying for you. Your mum would be so proud of you and I know your daddy is and he loves u endlessly. Our little miracle baby, Daddy promises he’s going to step up and protect you all. Emma will live on through you beautiful girl.”
Emma’s aunt and uncle, Ken and Rita Hanlan, opened up about the tragedy. Mr Hanlan told MailOnline: “The flat she was in when she fell was her father’s and we have been told it was an accident. Her father said she opened the window to have a smoke and fell out. He insists it was an accident.”
Ms Hanlan, 75, offered an update on Posie and said her condition is improving. She told the publication: “Little Posie is feeding now, she is taking milk, which has been a great relief. She had an internal bleed but that is clearing now. She has a fracture to her leg and they are going to splint that sometime next week. She is the one good thing that has come out of this tragedy. She is such a little fighter, she was only 4lbs when she was delivered but she’s doing well, which is amazing.”
