Our Beautiful Mum 🤍

There will never be enough words to express the love we have for our beautiful, incredible Mum. We never imagined we would be writing something like this. Losing her has turned our world upside down in a way we will never fully comprehend.

Our wonderful Mum passed away from cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the bile ducts often referred to as a silent killer. She was fit and healthy, she never smoked and she never drank. Her diagnosis came as a complete and devastating shock to us all. In the weeks beforehand we were told many different things, never expecting it to be something so serious.

This disease is heartbreaking because it often goes undetected until it has already progressed or spread. Symptoms appear late and can be mistaken for other less serious conditions, which makes early diagnosis incredibly difficult. By the time it is identified, treatment options are often limited. Cholangiocarcinoma does not discriminate. It can affect anyone and too often it is caught far too late. More awareness and research are urgently needed to change this.

We are raising funds in Mum’s memory to shine a light on this disease and to support vital research into better detection, improved treatments and ultimately a cure. As a rare cancer it receives limited funding and awareness compared to many others. Our experience has shown us how important it is to invest in research that could help families facing this diagnosis in the future.

Mum’s diagnosis came as a shock because she showed no typical risk factors. She was healthy, active and living life fully. Yet this disease still found her. If we can use her story to help even one family receive earlier diagnosis, better treatment or more hope, then her legacy will continue to make a meaningful difference.

Mum, you are the most incredible woman this world has ever known. Your kindness, compassion, warmth, gentle wisdom and beautiful smile light up every room. Your love for your family was limitless. We are so unbelievably lucky to call you our Mum. You were also an amazing best friend, devoted wife, proud nan, loving sister, aunty and daughter. You poured love into every relationship and everyone felt it deeply.

You were our safe place. Just being in your presence made everything feel better. One cuddle from you could take away worry, burden and sadness. It still does not feel real that you are not physically here with us. We do not know how to navigate a world without you. The pain is like nothing we have ever known, and yet we feel the strength you gave us throughout your life. You are and always will be the strongest woman we know.

We always knew how loved you were and we always told you how much you meant to us. Since losing you we have been overwhelmed by the kindness shown to our family through messages, prayers, flowers, cards and support. You did not just make our lives better, you made the lives of everyone who met you better. You brought joy, light, laughter and comfort wherever you went.

Your kindness will always be celebrated. Mum lived so selflessly, always putting others before herself and giving everything to those she loved. Her compassion and generosity defined who she is. In honour of the way she lives, we want to carry that kindness forward and use it to support other families facing this devastating disease.

We know first-hand how cruel and heartbreaking this diagnosis is. Mum faced everything with strength, dignity and grace. If raising funds in her memory helps even one family receive support, earlier diagnosis or better treatment, then her legacy lives on in something powerful and meaningful.

We will never stop speaking your name or telling your stories. We will carry on your favourite traditions and make sure you remain part of them always. You live on in each and every one of us through the love you gave so freely and so beautifully.

We also honour our Dad, Mum’s soulmate. Fifty years together and forty-five years of marriage celebrated surrounded by all of us. A love like theirs comes once in a lifetime. In the weeks since losing Mum, Dad has shown strength, tenderness and quiet courage that would make her so proud. She adored him beyond words and her whole world was her family. We know she would be looking down with pride and gratitude for the way he is holding us together even while his heart is breaking. Their love story is one we will cherish forever.

Mum, you are our heart, our home and our greatest blessing. We love you endlessly and we will love you for the rest of our lives and beyond.