Single mum-of-3 dies weeks before Christmas after going to GP with cough that turned out to be cancer
A SINGLE mum died weeks before Christmas after going to her GP with a cough that turned out to be lung cancer.
Jane Brogan, 38, believed she had a chest infection after struggling with the cough for around six weeks.
But the mum-of-three was horrified to discover she had stage four lung cancer, Chronicle Live reports.
Tragically Jane passed away two days ago when doctors were due to decide whether to continue her course of chemotherapy.
She had been planning one final Christmas with her kids Molly, 14, Elena, seven and Thomas, five.
Her heartbroken sister Julie, from Northampton, said: "We’re devastated. We thought we’d get one last Christmas.
"From diagnosis to her passing away has only been six weeks.
"It’s really difficult- everyone’s struggling with it.
"She’d started buying the children Christmas presents."
She was most devastated about leaving her children behind and missing out on them growing up, and key milestones in their lives
Jane believed she only had a minor ailment when she attended hospital six weeks ago.
But she was dealt the devastating blow she had cancer and only had a few months to live.
Jane immediately began planning for her final Christmas with her three children while undergoing gruelling chemotherapy.
But during the treatment, she contracted pneumonia – forcing medics to stop chemotherapy until the infection had passed.
Lung cancer – what to look out for
There are two types of lung cancer – 80 per cent of cases are non-small-cell, while small-cell lung cancer is a rarer type which spreads more quickly.
As with all cancers, knowing the early warning signs of lung cancer could save lives.
There are eight key symptoms you should be aware of:
- Having a cough most of the time
- A change in a cough you have had for a long time
- Being short of breath
- Coughing up phlegm (sputum) with signs of blood in it
- An ache or pain in the chest or shoulder
- Loss of appetite
- Tiredness (fatigue)
- Losing weight
Less common symptoms, usually associated with more advanced forms of the disease, include a hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing and pain and discomfort under the ribs, in the chest or shoulder.
Meanwhile, finger clubbing (a change in the shape of your fingers and nails), facial swelling and swelling in the neck are also signs to look out for.
The family planned on moving their Christmas forward so Jane could celebrate but she text Julie on Wednesday night saying she "wasn't feeling great" and had been coughing a lot.
Tragically she died the next day – the same day she was due to find out whether doctors would continue life-lengthening treatment.
Her family and friends have now created a GoFundMe page to raise money so Jane's three children can go to Florida in May.
In a statement, they said: "Jane was a much loved mam, daughter, sister, auntie and great auntie. She loved her friends, music, animals and, more recently, cakes.
"She was most devastated about leaving her children behind and missing out on them growing up, and key milestones in their lives."
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