Paula Ann Brown, 56, spent decades helping patients and visitors at the hospital she loved, travelling by taxi three days a week from her supported accommodation to carry out volunteer duties that earned her a long-service medal and widespread admiration.

An inquest at Norfolk Coroner’s Court heard how Ms Brown, who lived at Benjamin Court in Cromer, remained committed to helping others throughout her life despite significant health challenges.

Area coroner Johanna Thompson concluded Ms Brown died of natural causes on September 14, 2025, after developing sepsis following a series of infections and a lengthy hospital admission.

Born in Australia on January 18, 1969, Ms Brown moved to Norfolk as a baby. Following a burst appendix in childhood she developed epilepsy and mild learning disabilities, but family members said she refused to allow her conditions to limit her life.

Instead, she became a familiar and much-loved figure within Norfolk’s volunteering community.

(Image: Denise Bradley)

As a teenager she........

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