Inspirational Jane Loses Cancer Fight After 17 Years

By AMAR SINGH

JANE TOMLINSON whose attitude to her terminal cancer inspired thousands has died after a 17-year-old battle against the disease.

The 43-year-old defied her illness and doctors’ orders and dedicated her life to raising a total of 1.75 million for charity.

Mrs Tomlinson was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 28 in 1990 but 10 years later doctors told her the cancer was terminal.

Rather than giving up, the diagnosis spurred her on and she undertook a series of endurance events to raise money for charity.

Today her husband, Mike, and children Suzanne, Rebecca and Steven, paid tribute. They said: "We are, as a family, heartbroken at this loss but we know this extends to all her family and friends.

Jane has always said her family has been the greatest joy in life and we feel honoured to have been blessed with such a wonderful person.

" They added: "The weight of this burden has been immense on all of us, but primarily Jane. We hope that she is now at peace from the pain that has accompanied her for so long." Mrs Tomlinson’s last and toughest challenge was a 4,200-mile bike ride across America, from San Francisco to New York last summer.

She endured temperatures of more than 38C and altitudes of more than 11,000 feet along the way, despite becoming very ill from progressive liver cancer during the challenge.

She became the world’s first woman with incurable cancer to complete an Ironman, which involves a 3.8-kilometre swim, 180- kilometre cycle and a full marathon in 2003.

She also completed marathons and triathlons across the country and around the world.

Mrs Tomlinson, who died at St Gemma’s Hospital, Leeds, at 9pm yesterday, was made a CBE for her charity work this year. Talking about her fundraising effort, her family said: "No one was more surprised than us when she took out a gym membership a few weeks after the terminal diagnosis. It seemed, on the face of it, massively out of character.

"It is to her remarkable achievement that it became the norm for her to complete one marathon or triathlon after another. Everyone became aware of her achievements and we hope as a result the expectations of what can be achieved by the terminally ill have been raised." The Tomlinsons are committed to continuing her work for children’s and cancer charities.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown led the tributes, calling her a "daily inspiration".

He said: "Jane’s mission in life was a simple one: to make the most of every day and to help others, and she not only achieved that several times over, but inspired millions of others along the way. We will remember her amazing spirit and strength and that exceptional charity work, and she will be a daily inspiration to our generation to fight on against the terrible scourge of cancer." Ryan Bowd and Martyn Hollingworth, her co-riders during the Ride Across America, said: "She did amazing and remarkable things whilst suffering a pain that few can imagine, whilst all the time having an understanding of her own mortality that most could not bear. " Officials in her home city of Leeds opened book of condolences at the Civic Hall..

(c) 2007 Evening Standard; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.