'Now she gets to be with her boy': Family's tribute to Shropshire mum who died waiting for answers over son's hit-and-run death
A family has paid emotional tributes to a kind-hearted and selfless Shropshire mum who died without ever getting answers over the hit-and-run which killed her son.
Louise Bristow, who was 52 and from Dorrington, died on Thursday last week after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Louise's own health difficulties came as she and her family also faced the tragic death of her son, Dylan Price.
Dylan, a keen and popular rugby player, died the day before his 18th birthday, on September 19, 2021.
He was hit by a vehicle on the B4385 Brampton Road at Bishop's Castle, but the person responsible has never come forward or been identified by police despite numerous appeals.
Louise issued a number of personal pleas for help to find out what happened to her son, to no avail.
She was tragically given just three months to live back in October 2022, but fought on for three years.
She is survived by her husband Steve Bristow, daughters Livi and Izzy and three grandchildren.
Izzy said she believed her mum had battled on to stay with the family through the pain of the fourth anniversary of Dylan's death, earlier this month.
She described a warm-hearted woman who had always been positive no matter the challenges she faced, always looked for the good in people, and was the "heart of the family who held everyone together".
Steve spoke of Louise's beaming smile, sense of fun, inner strength, and her love of her family.
Giving just one example of her kindness, he described how Louise had helped a stranger whose own daughter had died. Despite not knowing her, Louise had reached out after finding out about the death of the woman's daughter to pay for a day out for her two younger children.
Steve said: "That is just the kind of woman she was."
He added: "She was kind, welcoming, fun, she had a massive heart and she would do anything for anyone, she really was selfless."
Izzy said: "She was fun-loving, she loved her family, loved her kids, loved her grandkids. Everyone says what a special woman she was."
Despite her own ill health Louise had continued to seek answers over what happened to Dylan in the wake of his tragic death.
Izzy said: "We are almost certain that she hung on to support us because we have just had the anniversary of Dylan's death and his birthday. We believe she hung on to support us because of what a tough time it is."
Steve and Izzy added that not having answers over what happened had been "agonising" for Louise, but said the family were taking comfort that she and Dylan would now be together.
Izzy said: "We have all said how she will now be with Dylan and she will get those answers. We are very much that she is now with her boy again and he gets his mum back, that is the comfort."
She added: "She had to go right to the end with no answers whereas it could have been something we dealt with as a family if someone had come forward."
Izzy also reiterated the appeal for any information which might bring answers over what happened to her brother.
She said: "Someone out there does know what happened. We have faced enough now: if there is anything anyone knows, or they can just realise what we are going through and how hard it has been, and is every day since, the answers would make it that bit easier so we know what happened."
She added: "It has been that thing of 'how do you move forward when you know someone is still out there with the answers to the questions you so desperately want answered?' I think it is cruel to put a family through that."
Anyone with information on the night Dylan died can contact police on the 101 phone line.
