Gemma was our precious daughter who arrived five years after her big brother Lee to complete our little family. It seemed that she was born with a smile on her face. Gemma was always such fun, blessed with a great sense of humour, that she literally lit up a room.Our inspirational, brave, loving, caring, fun and beautiful sunflower lost her long and courageous battle with a brain tumour just days before Christmas 2018.
Gemma was intelligent, kind and caring from a young age, often enjoying looking after younger children. She loved dressing up and when she was given a nurse’s uniform, she wanted to bandage people or check them out with her stethoscope, so it was no surprise she chose a career in nursing. Having graduated from university and completed her training, Gemma worked for a few years at Great Ormond Street Hospital, later transferring to our local hospital as a junior sister.
My husband Andy and I were so proud and happy for Gemma. She appeared to have it all – a loving husband, two gorgeous little boys, Dylan and Noah, who are now six and four, and a job that really fulfilled her, as well as a network of lovely friends.
But life can turn on a sixpence. Just eight weeks after the birth of little Noah, Gemma had three days of nausea, vomiting and severe headaches and was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She underwent surgery and we then had to wait three agonising weeks for the results of the biopsy. It was the worst possible news. Gemma had an aggressive and incurable brain tumour – a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and was given 12 to 18 months to live. It sent us reeling. How could this be happening to our beautiful little sunflower and mummy to two very young boys?
It was only then that we started to learn the grim statistics for this terrible disease. Less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years, compared to 50% across all cancers. Gemma refused to feel sorry for herself and just got on with it, so we followed her lead. Then cancer struck the family again. This time it was Noah, aged 15 months, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer. He had an eye removed and underwent proton beam therapy, but Gemma continued to draw on her seemingly endless resources of courage and positivity, keeping the boys smiling throughout Noah’s own cancer journey.
Despite enduring radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and further surgery, Gemma’s battle was never one she could win. In September 2018 we were told that the tumour was back and inoperable. Andy and I stayed with Gemma as she received end-of-life care at our local hospice until she passed away.
When faced with the battle of her life, Gemma was determined to enjoy every minute of every day. She never gave up hope, or felt sorry for herself and would often say: “There are people in the world worse off than me.”
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this disease. We are determined to help change that and carry on Gemma’s work, fundraising for Brain Tumour Research and raising awareness of the desperate need for research. We are also very grateful to Caprice, whom Gemma met and bonded with at a Brain Tumour Research event, for her wonderful help in continuing Gemma’s legacy.
The sense of loss felt by me and the whole family of our beautiful Gemma is beyond words. We take some comfort from the fact that Gemma was blessed in having so many wonderful friends and supporters who will keep her memory alive. And, of course, we are blessed with Gemma’s legacy in Dylan and Noah and will ensure they continue to hear all the stories we have of their inspirational mummy.