Jessica Leigh has been remembered as ‘happy-go-lucky’ (Picture: SWNS)

Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a ‘bright and bubbly’ young transgender woman who was found hanged in her bedroom.

Jessica Leigh, who was born Damon before coming out as a woman four years ago, died in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, three weeks ago.

The 20-year-old’s mother Jude Coulson and stepfather Steve Coulson have called for greater awareness and acceptance of transgender people.

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Jude, 49, said: ‘I want to make people more aware of what it’s like, for people to be more accepting of people whatever their sex, gender, colour.


‘She was always a happy-go-lucky person. It would have been her 21st next month.



‘It is so sad because we were always so accepting of who she was.’

Jessica’s mum added that nothing seemed wrong on the surface and the news came completely out of the blue.

She was found in her bedroom (Picture: SWNS)

She said: ‘She moved to Doncaster and lived with people and we thought everyone was really accepting. She had friends, and a social life.

‘But we just did not know what was going on. She seemed fine to us but there must have been something else under the surface.

‘She hid it from everyone. Even when she lived with people trained to spot these things, she spoke to a transgender group and they didn’t notice anything either.’

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Jessica’s stepfather Steve, 52, said: ‘She was bright and she was bubbly. She loved her bike, she loved doing art and she loved animals.

‘It was completely heart-breaking when we were taking her bike home to ours.

‘She seemed like she was someone who was loving life. People messaged my wife on Facebook when they found out, saying ‘God I miss her’.

‘We will all be getting together and making a toast and celebrating Jess. You just don’t want anybody else to go through this.’