Three heartbroken sisters are grappling with the devastating loss of both their mother and father to the same disease within weeks of each other. Linda Christie, 63, passed away just over a month following her partner Robert Quaife, 67, in the same hospital bed.

Robert was father to Joanna Helder, who has set up a fundraising campaign to support her half-sisters Kelly, Charlie and Hayley. Beyond dealing with the grief of losing both parents, the sisters have faced the financial burden of arranging two funerals in quick succession.

Joanna explained the couple had been "apparently fine" throughout much of last year, before noting: "Dad had been feeling a bit lethargic and tired in November, but nothing major. He went to the doctors and was sent to hospital. There they found he had lung cancer, which had spread everywhere.

• Lung cancer symptom that shows up on fingers


• Mum almost died after contracting disease in Gran Canaria

"He passed away at home on December 5. On that day his partner Linda had a doctor's appointment for a bad cough.

"Tests then revealed she had stage four lung cancer and she died on January 12. It has been absolutely devastating, we are all just in pure shock.

"My sister Kelly told Linda as she was lying in hospital that she knew the pair were soulmates, and Linda smiled. She was in the very same bed in the same bay at the hospital where dad was taken; they were both diagnosed with exactly the same cancer. At the moment my sisters are just in shock and not even able to think about another funeral so soon."

Joanna has established a GoFundMe page for her London-based sisters, which has already attracted nearly £2,000 towards the £5,900 target.

She said: "I have helped as much as I can with dad's, which is on January 23, paying for the wake and flowers. But the total funeral cost was over £6,000. My sisters are now facing having to find a similar amount for their mum's. I will help as much as I can because she was a wonderful step-mum but it is proving hard."

Joanna revealed that the idea of starting a fundraiser came from her own mother Mary.

She explained: "Dad and mum split up when I was a child, but they remained good friends. Mum was very upset by his and Linda's deaths; she had been a great step-mum to me.

"She said I should try and do something for my sisters to help them. The response has been wonderful and I am so grateful.

"My sisters are really suffering from losing their parents in such a short time. We have not even started discussing dad's funeral arrangements yet in detail – they just can't take it in."

In her GoFundMe appeal, Joanna penned: "My dad's funeral has been paid for... but the financial toll of raising funds to give Linda a beautiful send off in such a short space of time... is not possible.

"If you are able to help in any way, please donate to help ease the pain and suffering of my sisters and the whole family, to give Linda a beautiful cremation ceremony. Linda was genuinely the most selfless person you could ever meet.

"We would be so grateful for any help you could offer at this devastating time. From the bottom of our hearts."