It is with great sadness that we have received the news that Nicky Gwynne has lost her battle with cancer. Nicky was nominated in the Courage category for the 2015 Love Barrow Awards. Our thoughts at this time are with her husband Al, her daughter Sky and everyone whose lives she touched.
The following was published in the North West Evening Mail on Saturday 20th December.
Brave Barrow mum loses cancer fight
A BRAVE mum nominated for a Love Barrow Award for her immense courage as she battled cancer has lost her fight for life.
Nicky Gwynne died peacefully in the early hours of Thursday with her husband, Al, by her side.
The 39-year-old described his wife as a true “inspiration” to all. He said she had never let the cancer change who she was and she had decided on day one she was going to fight the cancer all the way.
He said her greatest regret would have been that she didn’t make it to her precious daughter Sky’s 15th birthday on Tuesday and to Christmas Day.
Mrs Gwynne, 37, of Armon Close, Barrow, was diagnosed with the disease in June after spending weeks in intensive care at Furness General Hospital with renal failure.
Speaking in October she told how her life had been turned upside down by cervical cancer and she hoped to show determination to the children she helped to teach.
Despite suffering from debilitating sickness for the past few months, as well as having had a series of operations, the St George’s Primary School teaching assistant has been an inspiration to all who knew her.
Mr Gwynne said: “She really wanted to get through next week for Sky’s birthday and Christmas.
“We had decided to spend the day quietly just watching films and being together. Sky and I will still do that because that would be what she wanted.
“When she passed it was peaceful and she was talking to me and then 15 minutes later she had passed. She was just very weak. She didn’t want to give up.
“She coped really well throughout and was determined from day one that it wasn’t going to beat her.
“She was such a big inspiration and always cheery despite what she was going through.
“Even when she was told by the doctors she said she was determined to prove them wrong.
“I really want to thank the staff at Furness General Hospital on ward nine and ward one for everything they did. They were amazing, absolutely brilliant. They made her time a lot easier.
“The thing with Nicky is that from day one she was never going to give up, she was never going to let it change anything, she just carried on.
“Even the day before she passed she was helping Sky with her homework. She never let up. The kids at her school will also miss her.
“She’s not suffering now and now she’s not in pain anymore.”
