08/06/1959 - 21/01/2006

It’s been nearly 20 years since I lost my mother to breast cancer. She was diagnosed when I was 5 years old, meaning I spent a lot of time as a child watching my mum battle the cancer.

Despite her battle, she continued to smile and make me and my brother smile, meaning we have the most beautiful memories of time spent with her that we will get to cherish forever. The bravery and fight she showed was admirable and one which we are all very proud of.

I wish she never had to suffer but the strength she had meant some days you couldn’t even tell. Her kindness and light hearted spirit shone through to her last day and her legacy lives on in us kids.

I miss you mum and I hope we’re all doing you proud!

21/04/1965 - 15/11/2016

Tina was the most amazing person and I am very lucky to have had her in my life.

We met in our mid-twenties and our friendship was always very special to us both. Tina was great fun and everybody loved her. She was kind and compassionate and even towards the end of her life she always wanted to talk about your tiny little problems rather than talk about her daily struggles and pain.

She has been gone 7 years and I still miss her so much. She was my best friend.

29/03/1966 - 12/02/2020

My beautiful friend Maryam was someone I met at boarding school when I was about 11 and from the moment I met her I knew I would have a friend for life. She always had this smile on her face and the most amazing teeth I have ever seen!

In her younger years she was a huge Michael Jackson fan and loved to sing and dance to his music and what a little groover she was! She didn't have it easy, even in her younger years, with her home life and particularly with her health. From her teenage years she was diagnosed with a muscle wasting condition called Myasthenia Gravis and I remember her coming back to school one term with this big scar down her front having had surgery. But Maryam being the person she was, continued with life as normal.

She left our school at 16 and went home to San Diego where she lived with her mum and brother and at the age of 18, having just started work, I went to stay with her for 3 weeks. We had a great time together even managing to see Stevie Wonder in concert whilst I was there. We lost contact for a few years during which time she married the most wonderful man Eddie.

She got diagnosed with breast cancer about 13 years ago and had a mastectomy, but continued with her positive attitude in life alongside dealing with her MG. She eventually had to give up work due to her health and Eddie was amazing. He made sure she ate well, took her to her appointments and his love was unconditional. Truly an amazing man. I remember him telling me that when his mum died he didn't even go back to Colombia for her funeral as there would be no one to look after his darling wife.

Roll on a few years and the dreaded C is back. We always said the one thing we wanted to do, should the inevitable be likely , was to see each other again. In December 2019 she started to go downhill and it was obvious I needed to see her so I flew to California in February 2020 just before COVID came in. We had the most amazing time in the hospital together and her face when I arrived was a picture. I would feed her and help her with anything she needed doing to make her life easy and we would just talk and hold hands. Some days the harpist would come in and we would listen to music and sing. 2 days after I left she lost her fight for life - 12/02/2020 a day I don't want to experience ever again. 2 days later on Valentine's day she was laid to rest in line with her Muslim Culture.

I still speak to Eddie 2 or 3 times a week and we have the most amazing friendship. He misses her so much as do I, but she is at peace now and very sadly missed every day. I still have her voicemails and not something I will ever get rid of. A beautiful soul inside and out and a truly very special friend.

23/03/1956 - 17/06/2011

Big Sis.

There was just the two of us; two girls born to Doreen and Percy ten years apart; Ann and then Jane. We always signed our messages off as ‘Big Sis’ and ‘L’ll Sis’.

We had similar looks, traits and interests, but different personalities. Ann was the sociable one, more confident, outgoing and always ready to party. Having initially trained as a hairdresser, Ann was truly passionate about her secondary career as an SEN teaching assistant.

Ann had two step children and step grandchildren, one daughter, a granddaughter and a grandson on the way. She’d found love again. She had many good friends and an active social life. Her life was full.

Like our maternal and paternal grandmothers, we’d lost our Mum to cancer. How was it that it felt such an enormous shock when Ann got her original cancer diagnosis after she went for a check-up for a misshapen breast age 45.

With the utmost courage and determination to work through it, Ann underwent a single mastectomy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

We marked her 50th birthday, with a 1950’s style party. As part of the celebrations, we arranged for Ann to ride in a motorcycle convoy. Oh, how we laughed when she removed the helmet..and her wig with it in one move!

Ann thankfully transitioned into remission and got back into the driver’s seat of her life again. Holidays were taken and her diary was full with social engagements and fun, until a routine GP appointment for backache led to blood tests. The devastating news was that she was diagnosed with secondary bone cancer.

Selflessly Ann rallied her efforts to protect others from her emotional pain. She pushed herself physically to be present for those she loved. For 18 months Ann took the most out of life, when her energy levels permitted. We even made it to a Butlin’s Motown Weekender, where she danced, sang, laughed and had some carefree moments. As a huge Motown and soul lover, she determined that ‘Reach out, I’ll be there’ by the Four Tops as the song to be played at her funeral.

My heart knows, but sometimes the words don’t quite describe the emptiness that the loss of your stand-in parent, sibling, best friend, confident, playmate and all-around wonderful person feels like.

Ann, my Big Sis, you epitomised what bravery looked like.

With eternal love from L’ll Sis xxx

07/07/1965 - 15/10/03

It will be 20 years on October 15th since I lost my best friend Nicola Curd to Breast Cancer. Nicky was diagnosed when her youngest Son, Tim was under 1 year old. Nicky was so incredibly brave throughout her " fight" with Cancer and we somehow managed to laugh quite a lot during this time. She once gave me a shopping list and at the bottom of it wrote: " a new body please - ha ha". Nicky was absolutely devoted to her husband Peter and her two gorgeous sons, Simon and Timothy, and did everything she could for them, allowing for her being so unwell and coping with treatment. Nicky would be so proud of the lovely young men they are now! Nicky was also an amazing seamstress, so talented and clever and could make literally anything from any piece of material. The amazing strength that Nicky showed me 20 years ago, has helped me with my own recent battles with Breast Cancer. I miss you Nicky, but you are never far from my thoughts!