Laura, a Young Ambassador for The Brain Tumour Charity, was diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM) in 2018 following a routine eye test. Following her diagnosis she, along with her family, was passionate about raising awareness of the disease.
Laura died on Monday 22nd May, aged 23.
Her mum Nicola and sister Gracie described Laura as a “force of nature” during this morning’s interview.
Nicola has been documenting her family’s journey to thousands of followers on Twitter since Laura’s diagnosis. She said: “We really appreciate all the support that we’ve had and all the comments and nice messages that we’ve had. It’s meant so much to know that Laura has meant so much to other people.”
“We’re going to just try and do what we can to make her proud of us and to carry on doing the things that she thought were important.”
She added: “She’s had such an impact on so many people we don’t want that to go with her, we want to continue that on her behalf.”
Hugh Adams, our Head of Stakeholder Relations, said: “It is extraordinary to see the family’s strength after losing Laura just days ago. We continue to be inspired by their determination and courage despite their devastating loss. Laura’s legacy lives on through what her family is now doing to raise awareness in her memory and we know they will keep working as hard as they can to raise awareness and push for better treatments so other families don’t have to go through this torture.”
“Laura’s death is a tragic reminder that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. This is simply unacceptable. We must do more and invest in the vital research which holds the key to better treatments and, ultimately, a cure so that there are better options and hope for patients like Laura.”
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