THE family of a young Rogiet mum who died following an 18-month battle with cancer aged just 26, yesterday paid tribute to a “brave” wife and daughter.
Laura Marshall Reid died on January 21 after being diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2009 following the discovery of a lump in her left breast.
The mum-of-two to Liam, six and Jack, three, underwent surgery to remove the tumour but two weeks later doctors broke the heartbreaking news that it had spread to her liver.
Her father Gary, 51, said: “From that moment our lives changed.
“They honestly thought it was just breast cancer, they said they could take the tumour out, it was quite routine and it was nothing to worry about. She would have a bout of chemotherapy.
“Then she had another scan and they said they couldn’t believe it had already gone to her liver.
“We were gob smacked.”
Mrs Marshall Reid underwent chemotherapy in February 2010, which rid her liver of the disease.
Another scan in September revealed it had returned to her breast, liver, stomach, and spine.
But the former Wilkinson’s warehouse worker remained upbeat throughout and made a wish list of things she wanted to do before she died.
These included getting married to her fiancé Gareth, 23, at Chepstow Register Office in December 2009, revisiting her childhood holidays in France with a trip to Disneyland Paris, and fulfilling her dream of staying in a log cabin in the snow - one which was met with a trip to Scotland last January. Mrs Marshall Reid finally succumbed to the disease on January 21 surrounded by her family, including her brother Carl, 22 - who was sent home from his tour of duty attached to 3 Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan to be by her side.
Her mother Lesley, 50, said: “Laura was strong. She just lived every day the best she could, she got up every morning with a smile on her face.
“In the past 12 months we crammed so much in, making memories for her little ones, something we can look back on and talk about with them.”
The devoted young mum even made a memory box for her two boys, which they will open when they are older, filled with letters, cards and keep sakes to remember her by.
Her family paid tribute to “the original dippy blonde”, her father adding: “She was a very positive and brave person, very caring and loving, always thought of others and never saw the wrong in anybody.”
Tests revealed Mrs Marshall Reid, whose three aunts on her dad’s side all died of breast cancer, was born with the gene fault BRCA2.
Women with this gene have a 50 to 80 per cent chance of developing breast cancer.
Her family, including brothers Robert, 22, and Nigel, 28, are now urging women and men to check themselves regularly for lumps and anyone with a strong family history of breast cancer to get checked out with their GP.
Mrs Marshall Reid’s funeral takes place at 10.45am on February 8 at Rogiet Church followed by a service at Gwent Crematorium.
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