Woman dies just before first wedding anniversary

A ‘BEAUTIFUL and bubbly’ young Brixington women has tragically lost her battle with cancer, just days before her first wedding anniversary.

The family of a young Brixington woman, who died of cancer just days before her first wedding anniversary, do not want her death to be in vain.

In a brave message this week, Samantha Kearsley’s family said: “Nobody likes using the ‘C’ word, but she wanted to raise awareness in the hope that others don’t have to go through what she went through.”

Sam, 25, of Vansittart Drive, died on September 8 from bone and ligament cancer - surrounded by her friends and family.

Her dying wish was for people finding lumps to get them checked out by a doctor.

‘Beautiful and bubbly’ Sam and her grieving husband Neil were cruelly denied the chance to celebrate their first anniversary last Sunday.

Now Neil and Sam’s mum, Christina Cole, are anxious to spread her message.

“It’s what she would have wanted,” said Neil. “If she could stop it happening to just one other person, she would have been happy.”

Former community college student Sam, who worked as a superviser at Faith in Exeter, was diagnosed in 2007.

Over the next few years, the cancer spread, leading to a series of operations and a leg being amputated, forcing the couple to delay their wedding.

“But, despite everything, she always had a smile and she kept her wicked sense of humour,” said Neil. “She even named her prosthetic leg the ‘Hermanator’ after Herman Munster because of the way he walked.”

And, on another occasion, a nosy stranger was left stunned when they asked about her leg. “She told them it was bitten off by a crocodile!” said Neil.

Christina said: “She was very beautiful, bubbly and vivacious with looks that could stop traffic.

“She was our rock, not the other way round. She made it easy for us.

“She didn’t want any fuss; all she wanted was for people to treat her normally.”

Neil paid tribute to her bravery: “I can count on one hand the number of times she cried.”

One of the first questions the consultant asked when she was diagnosed, said Neil, was if she had suffered a trauma to her leg.

“Just getting a knock on the knee could make a difference, which is something I didn’t know.

“If you get lump that doesn’t improve after a week, go to the doctor and get it checked out.

“The earlier it is diagnosed, the better your chances.”