A grieving mother shares the heartbreaking yet peaceful experience of holding her daughter Deborah’s hand as she passed away. “I brought her into the world, and I was with her when she left it,” she said, finding comfort in knowing her daughter’s pain had ended after years of illness.

Diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer at 35, Deborah fought for more than five years with strength and grace. Her mother described the pain of watching her suffer while also feeling relief that “her struggle was finally over.”

A mother of three, Deborah leaves behind her children, Hugo and Eloise, aged 16 and 14. Their grandmother admits it’s been incredibly hard to console them while coping with her own grief.

Despite her illness, Deborah lived fully and used her voice to raise awareness about bowel cancer, encouraging others to seek early help. Her openness “brought visibility to a disease often discussed too late.”

Her mother says Deborah’s courage and compassion inspired countless people. Through her honesty and advocacy, she turned her pain into purpose. In her passing, she leaves behind not just her family, but “a legacy of strength, love, and awareness.”