A woman with cystic fibrosis suffered the fatal collapse of a lung just three hours after she became engaged.
Doctors had warned Rachel Lawrence’s parents she might not live more than a few weeks when she was born, but she survived until she was 45.
Ms Lawrence was the daughter of Sir Ivan Lawrence, a distinguished criminal barrister — who defended the Kray twins and the serial killer Dennis Nilson — and Tory MP for Burton for 23 years until 1997.
Last month she suffered a collapsed lung just three hours after she became engaged to fiancé Christian Mueller.
She was put on a life support machine at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London and but died last week.
Sir Ivan said: “My wife Gloria and I are devastated by the tragic loss of our beautiful, dynamic and very charming Rachel. We could not be more proud of all that she has achieved.
“Rachel has been living without any self-pity with this illness since she was born. It was inevitable her life would be shortened, but she seems to have lived in spite of that. She’s an inspiration to others.”
Ms Lawrence had followed in her father’s footsteps to become a successful criminal barrister.
After studying at the University of London, she was called to the bar in 1992, and throughout her career worked on important criminal cases.
In one case, she teamed up with her father in the defence of famous snooker player Quinten Hann, who was accused of rape. He was acquitted.
Miss Lawrence, who also suffered from type one diabetes, had to be medicated for several hours a day.
Sir Ivan set up the Burton Cystic Fibrosis Support Group as a result of his daughter’s condition.
Miss Lawrence’s had been in the intensive care unit of the Royal Brompton since she fell ill at the beginning of August. Her parents made the heartbreaking decision to switch off the machine at the end of last week.
In line with her wishes, several of her organs were donated for use by others. Sir Ivan said: “At the end, she has donated what few good organs she possessed so that others might live.”
Cystic fibrosis is a condition which affects around 10,000 people in the UK. It is an inherited condition which is caused by a faulty gene, and leads to a build up of mucus affecting the lungs, liver, pancreas and intestine. There is no cure.
Sufferers like Miss Lawrence must undergo daily physiotherapy to dislodge the thick mucus which fills up the lungs and clogs up the stomach, as well as taking dozens of tablets every day.
After being named Cystic Fibrosis Trust Achiever Of The Year in 1996, she said: “It is all normal to me. It is part of my life. I don’t know any different. I live each day as it comes and enjoy it.”