A MEMORIAL service is to be held tomorrow for a teenager who died after suffering an epileptic fit at her home — just two days before she was due to go on holiday.

Samantha Ahearn, aged 19, was due to go to Tenerife with a friend but tumbled down stairs when she was struck by the fit.

Paramedics tried in vain to resuscitate Samantha, a student at Holy Cross College, where she was a very popular figure. A Facebook group has been set up in her memory which has more than 400 members.

Devastated mother Linda McGoff and stepfather Billy McGoff this week spoke of how proud they felt after receiving her A-Level results. Samantha, of Dumers Lane, Radcliffe, achieved higher grades than she needed to go to The University of Huddersfield where she planned to study towards becoming a social worker.

Mrs McGoff, aged 45, said: “She worked so hard to get the grades she needed to go to university and was so excited about it.

“We are obviously proud about her results but it is so difficult to deal with knowing that we will not see the fruits of it unfortunately. She would have been a fantastic social worker. We visited her grave on Thursday and took a well done card and balloon because we wanted to do something to recognise her achievement.

“She was easy to get on with because of her kind, caring, bubbly and outgoing nature and she had a lot of friends.”

Samantha, who has a brother Adam, aged 16, and sister Alice, aged two, was diagnosed with epilepsy in December last year after having her first seizure and was given medication.

Despite her illness she continued to work hard and achieved a B and a C in Health and Social Care, a C in Law and a D in general studies.

Mrs McGoff said she had only had about 10 fits in her life, but they could happen at anytime without warning.

It was on July 16 that she had a fit while on the stairs at her home. Mrs McGoff found Samantha at the bottom of the stairs after hearing a thud and Mr McGoff immediately called 999.

An inquest will be held at a later date to formally determine the cause of her death.

Mrs McGoff, a dental receptionist, said: “The illness was new to us all but she still lived a normal life and did what she wanted to do but just had to take extra precautions.

“She was very popular and liked going out with her friends.”

The former St Monica’s High School pupil took a year out and worked at the O2 call centre in Dumers Lane before deciding she wanted to be a social worker and going to Holy Cross College.

Mr McGoff, aged 45, added: “It is the sudden nature of it that we have really struggled to deal with. If you are old or unfortunate to have a terminal illness you can come to terms with it more. We can’t rationalise what has happened which makes it more distressing and traumatic.”

The memorial service, organised by her friends and family, will take place at St Mary’s Church, Belgrave Street, tomorrow (FRI) at 5.30pm.