'My wife thought symptoms were perimenopause but she died on Sunday'
Initially, she thought her symptoms were linked to perimenopause, but one night she was rushed to A&E as her stomach pain became so intense she "could not move". The mother-of-two had emergency surgery to remove a blockage in her bowel and, while the operation was successful, a biopsy confirmed her cancer diagnosis.
Laura underwent six months of chemotherapy and initially, the scans looked "promising", according to her husband Ben, 49.
He revealed: "We got one clear scan in August and it all seemed promising. But then in September we got the news that it was back and it had spread. That was absolutely gut-wrenching."
At first, Laura tried different forms of chemotherapy, but two months ago she chose to stop treatment. The therapy was only making her sicker and she wanted to spend her remaining time with her loved ones, reports the Mirror.
Laura received support from St Christopher's Hospice in Sydenham, south east London, enabling her to live at home for as long as possible, surrounded by her loved ones in a "comfortable and dignified way". After two weeks, she was transferred to in-hospice care, where she passed away peacefully at St Christopher's Hospice on Sunday, June 29, with Ben by her side.
Ben described the care Laura received at home as allowing her to spend her final two weeks in comfort and dignity. During her nearly three-week stay at the hospice, she received exceptional care, with compassionate and caring staff making her last days as positive as possible.
Ben expressed his eternal gratitude for the hospice's support during a difficult time.
Laura had previously spoken about her acceptance of her mortality, revealing that her final days were among her happiest. She said, "Some of the happiest days of my life have been in the last few weeks. As a society, we shy away from the process of dying.
"By doing that, we reinforce negative ideas around death. People think death is always going to be painful and traumatic, but it doesn't have to be.
"Deep down we all know we are going to die. Cancer has forced me to acknowledge it. Since then I've lived more fully than I've ever done and that has been a gift."
Ben expressed that both he and Laura viewed the time they had together as a blessing, despite desiring more.
He stated: "Laura could have died on that operating table back in March. Life can be cut short unexpectedly and suddenly.
"But knowing Laura was going to die meant everyone had the opportunity to say what they wanted to say to her. When it comes to the funeral, I won't have to stand up there and say all those things I wished I had said to her.
"Because I told her and so did the kids. Obviously, I'd prefer to keep her - and have her for the rest of my life.
"But she died knowing she is loved and that we will miss her endlessly. That is a blessing."
Throughout the ordeal, Ben revealed that he and Laura were always honest with their sons Jacob, 17, and Theo, 15.
Ben shared: "We've spoken very openly about it all the way through. We've always told them what the possible outcomes are - because we want to prepare them for what might happen and we want them to be able to trust what we're saying. That's definitely helped us throughout."
He also commended the care she received - from the NHS and St Christopher's - stating it made the experience more bearable.
"From the moment she was admitted into Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, all the care Laura received was incredible," Ben said. "We really are so thankful."
Ben disclosed that Laura wanted to share her story to help others navigate dying and death.
He expressed: "The way she's approached this has been incredible. I don't think there's been a day in this process where Laura truly let this get to her. This is unfair. She's had her life cut short by 40 or 50 years. But she was seeing the beauty in the small things - taking joy in what she could do.
"They say people are glass half empty or glass half full. Laura was always happy enough just to have a glass. She wanted to share that with people."
Laura also devoted her remaining time to creating lasting memories for her family. She wrote heartfelt letters, organised keepsakes and bought significant watches for her sons.
"She bought me one when we got engaged and now the boys have one too," Ben shared. "That way, on special occasions, like their weddings, they can look at it and know she's with them and thought about that day."
Reflecting on his journey with Laura, Ben reminisced: "We met 24 years ago. They talk about love at first sight - and it was that.
"She's been my constant companion ever since. Laura was generous to a fault - and the kind of person who is friends with someone after a minute of chatting to them. She was just a really, really nice person."
To support St Christopher's Hospice, you can make a donation here: https://www.stchristophers.org.uk/donate.
For contributions to Cancer Research, visit: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/.
And to donate to Guy's and St Thomas' Charity, head to: https://donate.gsttcharity.org.uk/.
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