She was brilliant, smiling to the end
FAMILY TO CONTINUE LEGACY OF NURSE WHO DIED OF CANCER ON CHRISTMAS DAY
THE family of a woman who died of cancer on Christmas Day have paid tribute to her inspirational life.
Mum-of-three Debbie Platts died at home in Sapcote at the age of 45 on Christmas morning, after a two-year battle with lung cancer.
The former nurse shared her story through a blog and Facebook page, as she wanted to comfort and support others living with the illness.
She is survived by husband Sam and daughters Chanel, Taylor and Paris. Sam said Debbie remained positive right until the end, despite becoming almost unable to walk.
“It’s been a rough couple of years, but the past few months have been really rough. Her illness took over quite a lot towards the end,” he said.
“She was beautiful, she was amazing, she was the nicest, most caring woman I met. She was brilliant, always smiling, even at the end.”
Debbie started showing symptoms in February 2018, waking up one morning with excruciating back pain and a chest infection.
As her pain persisted, she decided to get checked out to see what was wrong. A CT scan and biopsy revealed a mass on her left lung.
Doctors told them the devastating news she had terminal cancer.
Debbie was determined to carry on with life as normal and created a Facebook page,
Nurse with the big “C”urse, where she regularly posted photos and updates about her treatment and future plans.
She said last year: “I didn’t want sympathy or pity, I just wanted my story to be heard, because when you are given a diagnosis like this, you can have all your close family and friends with you but still feel so isolated, scared and alone.”
She spoke of the challenge of living with cancer, saying: “It’s one of the last things I think of at night and within minutes of being awake, it’s there at the forefront of my mind.
“I try to distract myself, thinking of all the wonderful things I am yet to experience and places I need to visit. It helps me to cope.
“I need those goals to aim towards so that on the bad days, it’s my loved ones, goals and memories that get me through.”
Debbie and Sam got married in summer 2018 at Sketchley Grange Hotel and they spent time in Ibiza and Rhodes, despite her illness.
The family announced her death on Christmas Day with a post on the Facebook page.
It urged people to “hold on to everyone you love a little tighter and a little longer tonight and never take the good times for granted because life can be so cruel and snatch those precious moments away.”
Sam said: “We still did Christmas dinner and everyone came round. In fact, more people come round than we expected.
“We had about 25 to 35 people. It’s what she would have wanted.”
Her funeral at South Leicestershire crematorium was attended by 300 people, with Chanel reading a poem written especially for the occasion.
Sam, 37, said he is determined to keep raising awareness of lung cancer, as many people believe it is only a smoker’s illness – Debbie never smoked.
He and about 30 family friends are taking part in a charity bike ride from Leicester to Skegness in aid of Loros hospice, which cared for Debbie in her final weeks. They also plan to keep the blog and Facebook page going.
Asked what advice he would give to a family whose loved one had just been given a terminal cancer diagnosis, Sam said: “Everyone takes things differently, it’s such a hard thing to deal with.
“You have to try to be as positive as possible. Look into all the options you have got.
“Hope is a wonderful thing, keep it with you all the way.
“If you let things get on top of you, things can deteriorate more quickly.
“We had bad news and bad news, but Debbie always stayed positive.”
For the latest updates from the family, visit the Nurse with the big “C”urse Facebook page.
Visit the Loros hospice website for information about the bike ride.