Sadness as mum loses cancer fight at just 34

Former flight hostess was having treatment for very rare form of disease

A brave mum has lost a long battle with a rare form of cancer for which there is no cure.

Natalie Havill from Willesborough was described by friends as a “devoted mummy” to her two little girls and someone who filled “a room with her curly locks, beautiful smile and contagious laugh”.

She died at the Pilgrims Hospice at the age of 34 on February 10 and her funeral was held at Charing Crematorium on February 24.

The mum had adenoid cystic carcinoma, a slow-growing glandular cancer, and was undergoing her third course of treatment.

There is currently no effective treatment for patients with recurrent forms of the disease.

Natalie worked at Holiday Extras and her manager set up a crowdfunding page for the mum so that she could “make special memories with her beautiful family”.

Her manager said Natalie was first diagnosed with a cancerous growth in her mouth in 2009, for which she had surgery and radiotherapy, but by 2015 the cancer had spread to her lungs and that she had half of a lung removed when her daughters were just one and three years old.

Natalie, a former flight hostess, developed cancer again towards the end of 2018, this time on her spine.

Describing Natalie’s cancer as “a very rare form affecting a handful of people in the UK”, her former work colleague added: “You could say that the cancer Natalie has is as rare as her incredible sweet nature.”

Friends held fundraising events including an 18-mile walk from Walmer Castle,

‘She had a beautiful smile and contagious laugh...’

where Natalie and her family met the hikers at Langdon Cliffs for lunch and a quiz was also organised in Sittingbourne, where Natalie grew up.

It’s thought about £20,000 was raised for the mum and her family.

Her crowdfunding page said: “Natalie is once again battling her third round of the dreaded C word and she has been given the dreadful news that there is no further treatment that can be offered.”

Responding to her friends’ fundraising page, Natalie wrote that she had been overwhelmed by all the support.

Natalie Havill, from Willesborough, was described by friends as a “devoted mummy” who filled a room with her smile