Tributes as campaigner dies of bowel cancer at 33
AUkip campaigner who has been credited with helping the party win seven seats in last year’s National Assembly election has died of cancer at the age of 33.
Sam Gould was diagnosed with bowel cancer in April and made a number of videos advising people to look for the condition’s warning signs.
He stood at Caerphilly in the 2015 general election and in the 2016 Assembly election.
Latterly he was working for North Wales AM and MEP Nathan Gill, who said: “I am shocked and devastated to hear the news of the death of my friend and colleague Sam Gould. Sam was the most loyal, sincere and hard-working person I have ever met. His energy and enthusiasm for everything in life was contagious and inspiring. He will be dearly missed by not only myself, but all of his colleagues and all those who got to know him at the Senedd.
“He tackled his illness the same way that he tackled everything in life, with a smile, with hope and with a boundless energy. It is tragic that he succumbed to cancer at such a young age.
“He spent his last weeks trying to raise awareness of bowel cancer, and as was so typical of Sam, thinking of others. Just days before his death he called me, concerned about my upcoming hip operation.
“My thoughts and prayers are now with Caroline and his three young girls, who must be heartbroken.”
A colleague and close friend, Llyr Powell, said: “Sam Gould was my friend, colleague and possibly the bravest man I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. When Sam was diagnosed with bowel cancer his reaction was to do what he knew best, campaign.
“Through his videos and social media campaign Sam raised awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer. In fact, his videos have now been viewed by over a hundred thousand people.
“The comments and messages he has received suggest that many people found comfort from them and the strength to go to their GP with their symptoms.
“Sam’s role in both the Ukip Wales 2016 Assembly campaign and the Leave campaign in Wales was pivotal. In particular, in the Ukip 2016 campaign, when we were outmanned and spent out, the person to have in the trenches with you was Sam.
“He was a bundle of energy, enthusiasm and positivity – and all of this was put into his campaigning for the general election in 2015 and then the two campaigns in 2016.
“He truly believed in what he was doing and put everything in, even devising some crazy stunts to get a cheeky news headline – projecting the Ukip logo onto Caerphilly Castle, a purple Ukip Land Rover, pressurewashing the logo onto dirty pavements, and the now-infamous stunt on Margate beach which made national news with a shoutout on Have I Got News For You.
“More than anything I will miss his warm and caring nature and our phone calls, when we’d speak about nothing in particular yet somehow put the world to rights.
“In his 33 years Sam achieved more in business, politics and in his campaign for bowel cancer awareness than many achieve in a lifetime but he always said he was most proud of his family, his wife, Caroline, and their three beautiful girls.”