Maddy Lawrence: Parents' mission to continue UWE student's legacy

Maddy Lawrence died in Southmead Hospital after developing an infection

The bereaved parents of a student who died of sepsis say their daughter was "so loved because she loved so much".

Maddy Lawrence, 20, died in March 2022, a fortnight after dislocating her hip during a university rugby match.

A foundation set up by her parents - Maddy's Mark - aims to keep her legacy and love of rugby going.

Supporters will run, walk and cycle 104km (64 miles) in March - 1km for each month since Maddy's death.

Describing her daughter, Karen Lawrence said: "She was so loyal, very enthusiastic, and just made everyone feel good about themselves.

"Maddy was very brave and would always stand up for people, she just wanted everybody to know that they belonged."

Money raised by Maddy's Mark will go towards promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in young women through rugby.

"To carry on Maddy's love of rugby through Maddy's Mark, and staying in touch with all of her teammates and friends, we find it very comforting.

"To do something in her name, in her legacy, it's exactly what she would've wanted. We feel this is as close as we could possibly get to doing that," Ms Lawrence continued.

Maddy's parents say "her life came together" when she discovered her love for rugby

An inquest into Maddy's death concluded the University of the West of England (UWE) student's death was contributed to by neglect.

A coroner found her deterioration at Southmead Hospital was "not recognised" and life-saving treatment "not commenced promptly".

On Tuesday, Maddy's parents attended a touch rugby festival for three primary schools in Bath.

The organisation hosting the event, Bath Rugby Foundation, receives some some donations from Maddy's Mark.

Alex Randall, community manager at the club, said: "At Bath Rugby Foundation we champion trying to create equal opportunities for young people across the city, but having their donations to enable us to do this bespoke work has allowed 80 children to come here today and experience rugby.

"The impact of this is not just the school engagement or the one-off event, for a lot of these girls it could be the making of them for years to come."

Mr Lawrence said it was touching to see young girls enjoying a game "so close to their heart"

Maddy's parents said "so many things changed" when their daughter discovered rugby.

Her father Simon Lawrence said: "She loved rugby, she had found her people at the university where she played.

"She enjoyed the game so much, and it wasn't just the physical thrill, it was the sense of community and teamwork that she really enjoyed."

'So fearless'

Hazel Joel, a friend of Maddy's, said it was rare to receive support like that provided by Maddy's Mark.

"I think Maddy would be really proud if she could see this," she said.

"It's so important for them to see those foundations being set, that young girls can get into rugby and it's not just for boys.

"She was so fearless whenever she played rugby, and I think seeing these young girls getting involved and being as fearless as she was is super important," Ms Joel added.