Jodie’s death stuns family

JODIE Nolan: passion for life

THE sudden death of a popular young Shaw woman from suspected meningitis has left a community in mourning.

Joanna Rose Noden, who was known as Jodie, was only 21.

Her parents Darren and Heather Noden and sister Cathy (22) have been left stunned by her death.

Jodie, a former Royton and Crompton School pupil, used to play for Crompton Cricket Club and was selected to play for the Lancashire under-15s girls squad when she was 13.

However, her passion for sport was replaced by music in her late teens and she worked as a DJ at Last Orders pub in Heywood every weekend.

On Thursday, September 15, Jodie was at the family home in Christine Street at 6pm when she told her parents that she had a headache.

Mr Noden (47), said: “I heard what I thought was Jodie vomiting in the bathroom but then I saw she was having a seizure.

“It was totally out of the blue, she’d never suffered anything like this before.”

Jodie came round and emergency services were called. She was well enough to walk to the ambulance and was admitted for checks at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

But five hours later she suffered another seizure in hospital and was placed on a ventilator in the intensive care unit.

She never regained consciousness and she died on September 17.

Mrs Noden (47) a teaching assistant in Glodwick, said: “We’re still numb, it’s not really hit us.

“The doctors at the hospital said it looked like viral meningitis. “It’s only now that we found out she’d had a headache and earache for a few days before she collapsed.

“She also told the doctors the hospital lights were hurting her eyes, but we won’t know the cause of death until the coroner gets back to us.”

The family said they will miss Jodie, who was bubbly, caring and had a fantastic sense of humour.

They have thanked relatives, friends and the community for the abundance of support, cards and flowers given to them over the past week.

Mrs Noden said: “We’ve not been left alone since her death we’ve had so many visitors, friends, relatives and people who knew her.

“It’s been a really hard time for us all, especially myself as I’ve lost my sister, mum, dad, uncle this year already and now Jodie.”

Mr Noden (47), who works for Polyflor, in Royton, said: “We’re really proud of Jodie as a daughter, she achieved so much in her short life.

“We want to give her the best send off possible.”

The funeral service will be held on Friday at1.15pm at St James’s Church, Salts Street, Shaw, followed by committal at Hollinwood Crematorium at 2.30pm.

The family have requested that only relatives wear black and that Jodie’s friends wear bright clothes.