Mum, 40, died of incurable cancer so rare NURSES had never heard of it

Mum Lesley Turner

Lesley Turner sadly died from an ‘incurable’ rare cancer

GoFundMe
Carl Bennett

By Carl Bennett


Published: 19/03/2023

- 14:26

The brave mum-of-one asked medics not to reveal how long she had left

A mum described as ‘kind, fun and brilliant’ has sadly died from an ‘incurable’ rare cancer.

The cancer, known as angiosarcoma is so rare that some of the nurses treating her had never heard of it.


Doctors discovered a lump in Lesley Turner’s breast in November 2021, before she tragically died the following July.

The mum-of-one, 40, originally asked staff at Northern General and Weston hospitals in Sheffield not to tell her how long she had left.

Hospital ward

The mum originally asked staff at Northern General and Weston hospitals in Sheffield not to tell her how long she had left

PA

Husband Rob, 41, said he knew that his wife’s condition was serious but she smiled telling him: “I’m still here.”

He said: “She had chemotherapy for about four months but she always had a smile on her face and said, ‘if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry’ – so we tried to just get on with it.”

Rob promised his dying wife he would help to raise money for St Luke’s Hospice, where Lesley spent the last five days of her life, as a way of thanking them for “the most amazing care” she was given.

“They took really good care – not only of Lesley but all the visitors including me,” Rob said.

“They gave me a bed and fed and watered me – they took really good care of everybody.”

The couple met in Glasgow in 2007 when Rob was fitting a supermarket Lesley managed and immediately connected.

Rob, from Sheffield, returned home but they stayed in touch over text and even travelled between there and Glasgow over the year.

“I said I’d move up to Glasgow but Lesley said I wouldn’t last five minutes, so she moved here to Sheffield,” he said.

Rob described his late wife as “kind… fun and brilliant to be around.

Doctor looking at mammogram

Doctors discovered a lump in Lesley Turner’s breast in November 2021

PA

“She was genuine person, not fake. And she always let you know how she felt.”

The couple have a son, Liam aged 8, who has sadly struggled following his mum’s death.

Rob said: “It’s been tough for him but he has lots of friends at school helping him and a loving family around him.

“But with Mother’s Day coming up and card-making at school he’s feeling it a bit more. He’s getting through it with my help and with help from his grandparents.”

A GoFundMe page set up by Rob has raised more than £4,800 – exceeding his original £3,500 goal.

He has also organised a golf tournament at Hillsborough Golf Club on May 12.

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