Family pay tribute to 'beautiful' Tadley woman after she loses fight against cancer

43-year-old mother of three "will never be forgotten"

THE family of a Tadley woman who died following a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer have paid tribute to a “strong, beautiful lady”.

Mother-of-three Gemma Kent was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer in May 2018 and originally told she only had nine months to live.

Following the news, her family and friends organised a series of ‘Hope for Gemma’ fundraising events with the aim of raising enough money to pay for life-extending treatment.

The Tadley community rallied around and raised an amazing £90,000, which paid for chemotherapy and a special ketogenic diet treatment in Turkey, as well as two subsequent rounds of chemotherapy in Basingstoke.

Following the treatment, Mrs Kent’s cancer count fell from 398 to seven and a hard mass on her pancreas – which originally measured 9cm – shrank to just 2cm.

Secondary cancer on her liver and lungs also cleared.

However, after a year chemotherapy-free, the tumour began to grow again and this time she was unable to tolerate the treatment on offer.

Mrs Kent made the decision to continue to fight with the help of the palliative care doctor and nurses at St Michael’s Hospice, Basingstoke.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she opted to receive end-of-life treatment at home supported by friends, family and nurses. She died on October 31, just weeks before her 44th birthday.

Mrs Kent is survived by her husband Phillip and three children, Jack, Alfie and Hope.

In a statement, her mother June Beere said: “Gemma benefited from a full year without chemotherapy, making memories with those who loved her.

“She was able to do this because the tumour in the pancreas was stable and those in the liver had disappeared.

“Gemma was forever grateful to the people of Tadley and Basingstoke, local businesses, friends and family, in fact everyone who raised funds to support her. In turn she made time to help others suffering this dreadful disease.

“Gemma’s family will always be eternally grateful for all their support, dedication and time.

“Gemma will never be forgotten – she is embedded in the hearts of those who loved her, but now she walks pain-free without fear and anxiety.

“Her family and friends are so proud of Gemma maintaining the strength to fight this disease for over two-and-a-half years.

“In that fight she never lost her comical side, keeping everyone amused with her funny Tik Tok videos and antics.”

Mrs Kent’s family say her cancer was overlooked for many months by GPs and doctors despite her being in pain, suffering weight loss and being unable to eat due to the severity of her symptoms.

In her last written wishes, Mrs Kent expressed a desire for a charity to be created to help those who are being mis-diagnosed.

Her mother intends to do this using her name as a memorial.

She plans to call the charity Gemma’s Educational Mission & Support group (GEMS).

Since posting her idea on an online pancreatic cancer forum, a number of members have expressed a wish to help due to suffering similar experiences with their own loved ones.

Mrs Kent’s funeral service will be held at St Paul’s Church, Tadley, on December 12 at 11am.

A private burial will then take place at Breach Farm Woodland Burial Ground in St Mary Bourne.

Although only 30 people are able to attend the church, the family say they are happy for anyone who wishes to show their respect to do so on the green outside the church or at the burial site as long as they adhere to all of the social distancing regulations.

Mrs Kent’s request was that people do not wear black.