When I first met Sarah, she was 10 and she had already
acquired her nickname 'Bear' it remained with her all her life


Bear was first diagnosed with metastatic Her2
receptive Breast cancer in 2002 three months after we started what would become
our last but wonderful journey through life together.

When Bear was first diagnosed with breast cancer she
was able to seek and receive treatment at the Royal Marsden hospital. The Royal
Marsden stood with Bear and by her throughout her fight, they never gave up on
her, and Bear never stopped fighting her disease. Bear died peacefully on the
19th April 2015 aged 41, after a 13 year fight against Breast Cancer.

Bear never ever allowed her illness to define who she
was, and until the last months of her life many people who knew her never knew
she was actually ill at all. Even in the last weeks and days of her life people
did not realise how very gravely ill she actually was.

This was a deliberate choice by Bear she did not want
it any other way. So although cancer was responsible for her death. You see she
was never defined by it, she was never known or wanted to be known as a cancer victim.

Throughout her illness she retained the same passion,
spark, kindness and wonderful zest for living her life that she had when we
were children, but if not her equal can so easily be lost to us as we grow up
and experience the pitfalls and trials of life.

Bear was an extremely brave, stoic, kind and
courageous woman. Those aren't just words from me she was the definition
of each and more. She was a wonderfully kind and gentle mother and a
superb friend to so many, she was my best friend and her life at just 41 years
was made just far far too short by this awful disease.

When you receive a cancer diagnosis your world stops
and you assume the worst. You are afraid. The Royal Marsden are not afraid of
cancer, they understand it, they know how to treat it, how to stop it and how
to give people fighting against it more time to live their lives.

When Bear had completed her treatment following her
initial diagnosis Bear asked her superb consultant, So what happens
now? , he told her "nothing, now you go and live" and bear did
exactly that for the next 13 years. At the end It was not that Bear had given
up on living life or fighting against her illness it was just that her
body could not carry her any further.

The timing of Sarah's initial diagnosis, and the fact
she was a patient at the Royal Marsden meant that she was able to access via
them an arsenal of new, significant and effective drugs many released in just
the last 2-5 years some are a refinement of a previous drug, others are brand
new and a radical evolution in the treatment and management of breast cancer.
All were made available to her via the Royal Marsden

Sarah loved all flowers as long as they were white.
Please send flowers to her funeral if you wish, but Bear said a far more
lasting tribute would be if we could raise some wonderful cash for the Royal
Marsden Hospital.

Here's the thing,

Your wonderful Cash = More cancer research.

More cancer research = New drugs and
treatment.

New drugs and treatment = More time to live.

More time to live is all that Bear wanted.

Rest in Peace Bear my Bear


Pete