TRIBUTES have been paid to a midwife who inspired a service to grant terminally-ill people in York their final wishes.

Tina-Maria Andrea Shaw, 60, from Acomb, died at St Leonard’s Hospice at the weekend, following a battle with cancer.

She has been described as “a loving wife, an amazing mum, a wonderful nanna and a loyal friend”.

Tina inspired her daughter Serina’s bid to set up a branch of the Ambulance Wish Foundation in York.

The charity was founded in Holland by ambulance driver Kees Veldboer to help terminally-ill patients fulfil their last wish.

It helped Tina realise her final wishes when a specially-equipped ambulance was sent over from Holland, allowing her to receive communion at a Greek Orthodox Church and to see the family dog in West Bank Park again.

So far the drive to bring the service to York has secured £25,000 of the £60,000 needed to fund a specialist ambulance for people in the area.

Serina said: “She was very passionate about the foundation especially after she was granted her last wish, as she knew what it meant to her and how important it is to have it. Mum was over the moon to find out that the foundation won the £25,000 towards the first ambulance here. Even in her last days she talked of ways to raise the remaining £35,000 needed to purchase the ambulance here. We will be naming the teddies that will be given to people who we grant wishes for in the UK, Tina, as she was our first wish.”

Tina, a mum of seven, was well known in York for her work as a midwife. Married to David, she leaves children Mya, Serina, Annoula, Eleni, Siobhan, Andreas and Shireen, and 19 grandchildren.

- Tina’s funeral will be held at St Mary’s church on Monday, January 23 for family and close friends.