More than £20,000 has been raised in just 24 hours for the sons of murdered Edinburgh beauty business owner Vikki Soloman, with hundreds of people rallying behind her devastated family.
The GoFundMe appeal, set up by Vikki's close friend Karen Lennen, smashed its original £5,000 target within hours of launching. By Tuesday morning, donations had soared past £20,000 as hundreds of well-wishers contributed to help support her sons, Reece and Jude.
Details of the tragedy
Vikki, 44, died after emergency services were called to a property in the East Craigs area of the capital on Monday, July 20.
Lee Greenan, 46, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court charged with her murder before being remanded in custody. The Scottish Prison Service later confirmed Greenan had been found dead at HMP Edinburgh on Sunday. It is understood he died by suicide.
Fundraiser appeal
The outpouring of generosity comes after Karen appealed for help for Vikki's boys, saying they had been left facing an "unimaginable" future after losing their mum. Launching the fundraiser, she wrote: "Our hearts were shattered by the sudden and devastating loss of Vikki. She was a devoted and wonderful mother, the rock of her family, and a fabulous friend to so many."
"Vikki dedicated her life to providing for her sons, Reece and Jude. Watching them grow into the wonderful young men they are today brought her immense joy and pride. To Vikki, the boys and everyone grieving: you will never walk alone."
"Her tragic passing has left an unimaginable void in their lives and placed an overwhelming burden on the boys as they try to come to terms with this heartbreaking loss."
Among the hundreds of heartfelt messages left by donors was one from Kirsty Alldrick, who wrote: "No money can justify our lovely girl being gone. But anything we can do for her loved ones."
Family responds
The overwhelming response came as Vikki's family broke their silence following the death of the man accused of murdering her. In a statement released through Police Scotland, they thanked the public for the outpouring of love and support but said the death of Greenan was "another bitter blow".
They said: "Following the heartbreaking loss of Vikki Soloman, her family is deeply moved and overwhelmed by the wave of love and supportive messages which brings great comfort at this devastating time."
"The community's solidarity provides the family great strength as they feel the profound loss and grief of losing Vikki, taken so young and in such tragic circumstances. The loss of a devoted mother has left an irreplaceable loss."
"Furthermore, news of the passing of Lee Greenan, the man charged with her murder is another bitter blow to the family. The family remains determined to pursue justice for Vikki."
"Their primary focus now is on her two children and are committed to ensuring they are safe, supported and surrounded by their mother's lasting legacy of love."
Background
Vikki, who ran Vikki Soloman Aesthetics in Edinburgh, devoted her life to raising her sons while building a successful business. She had also worked with politicians at Holyrood in recent years to campaign for safer practices within the beauty industry.
Friends have described the mum-of-two as "beautiful" and "a diamond", while Karen previously paid tribute to her "beautiful, intelligent, kind, brave, generous, wonderful soul sister".
The fundraiser follows another tragedy that previously struck Vikki's family. The father of one of her sons, Chris Lindsay, died in mysterious circumstances while on holiday in Spain in 2011 when their child was just three months old.
