Fierce and tenacious to the end… ’bucket list’ Laura dies aged 23
THE family of inspirational cancer patient Laura Nuttall spoke of their heartbreak as they revealed their beloved daughter had died.
Laura was shattered when at age 18 an eye test to join the Navy at university found glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive and incurable brain cancer with eight tumours. She was given 12 months to live in 2018.
She quit her studies, started a famous bucket list of dream wishes and inspired comedian Peter Kay to give a one-off Q&A show in August 2021 to help fund her treatment.
Her list included driving a tank, meeting US First Lady Michelle Obama, fishing with Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer, commanding a Royal Navy warship and presenting a BBC weather forecast. Last autumn the 23-yearold, of Barrowford, Lancs, revealed just weeks after a fourth brain operation that her tumours had not only returned – but spread further.
Yesterday morning Laura’s campaigning mum Nicola, 52, gave the devastating news that she had died.
Nicola posted: “I’m heartbroken to share the news that we lost our beautiful Laura in the early hours of this morning. She was fierce and tenacious to the end and it was truly the honour of my life to be her mum. We are devastated at the thought of life without our girl, she was a force of nature.”
Dad Mark said losing Laura had left “a huge chasm” but the family were “so very proud of her and what she achieved in her short life”.
He added: “Her flame burned so brightly, unfortunately, not nearly for long enough.”
Hours earlier Nicola posted news that she and Mark had spent Sunday at their daughter’s Laura’s bedside “not knowing if she’ll still be with us in the morning”.
Thousands of people have already paid tribute to Laura on social media platforms.