FAMILY and friends say they are ‘overwhelmed’ after a fund they set up to fly a Weymouth mum to her final resting place hit £4,500 in two days.

Donations have poured in to support the family of Maria Gulyas after her sudden death, aged 37, from cancer.

Maria, who was originally from Serbia, but who worked with her partner Tamas at Weymouth Care Home, had been on maternity leave having had her first daughter Dora, just nine months ago.

Friends said she went to hospital with what was initially believed to be a chest infection, but was quickly diagnosed as cancer. Sadly she had only three weeks between her diagnosis and when she died on August 2.

Friends and family paid tribute saying Maria was ‘beautiful inside and out,’ was ‘always smiling’ and was ‘just the nicest woman.’

Her family and friends at the care home set up a Go Fund Me charity page to pay for Maria’s cremation and to fly her, accompanied by Tamas, Dora and her parents back home to Serbia, where she can be laid to rest. Any additional money raised will be put into a trust fund for Dora, who has lost her mum at just nine months old.

In just two days the fund has raised £4,500, smashing the initial target of £3,000.

The Weymouth Care Home group said they were ‘shocked and delighted.’

Laura Nash from the group said: “To be honest I didn’t think we would raise £2,000. I’m really shocked – we have more than doubled it. People have been amazing. I think it’s because it could be anyone – it was so quick.”

She said that Tamas and Maria’s family had been ‘overwhelmed’ by people’s generosity and wanted to say a ‘huge thank you.’

Laura said everyone had been ‘totally surprised’ by how fast the amount had been raised. She said: “We would like to say a massive thank you. People have really made a difference and taken an incredible pressure off Maria’s family.”

The page will stay open and any additional money will go towards Dora’s trust fund.

To donate to Maria’s fund visit gofundme.com/2hdw2wr8