Debbie’s Story

Debbie was born on 22nd October 1961. After a brilliant school career (Head Girl at Sheffield Girls’ High School), she went to Bristol University, and in 1983 she was awarded a First Class degree in Law (with, reputedly, the highest mark ever recorded). At University she met her husband, Mark, and in 1984 they married. Debbie qualified as a solicitor and spent 6 years at the City law firm, Freshfields, where she excelled.

In 1990, her eldest daughter Katy was born. Debbie chose to stop working and became a full time mother. In 1993, Sarah was born and in 1996, Jack. Debbie devoted herself fully to the care of her children. She was active on many class and parents’ committees, helped out in the library and the school shop. Debbie was the mother who always had time to listen and help; she was warm, kind and generous and loved by everyone who met her. Katy was at Oxford University,  and Sarah and Jack were still at school when they lost their mother. 

Debbie had regular cervical smear tests. Between 1990 and 2005 these were reported as negative. Tragically these smears were misread [see links below] and when, by 2006, the cancer was finally identified, it had spread beyond her cervix and into her ovaries and lymph system. Surgery and intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy failed to cure the cancer. By 2008, the cancer had spread to Debbie’s brain and following a brain haemorrhage she fell into a coma. The tumour in Debbie's brain hospitalised her for weeks and, despite more extensive treatments, left her blind. Debbie battled on with extraordinary grace and courage for another 14 months and two further courses of chemotherapy. She refused to give in but, on 11th February 2010, following her long and brave battle with cervical cancer, Debbie died.