On behalf of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, please accept my sincerest condolences for the loss of Katie. We send our thoughts to all of Katie's family and friends at this very difficult time.

Katie was a very dear work colleague and friend. She was always helpful and supportive at work and always ready to cover for me especially when I would make my well intentioned but inevitably misinterpreted light hearted comments with patients. Her kindness and willingness to go the extra mile to help others will always be remembered and treasured. For many years before she developed the cancer she had been suffering with symptoms of endometriosis and had used her experiences of this really unpleasant condition to try and increase general awareness by talking about it on radio and other media services. Her aim was to bring as much attention as possible to this common condition so that others might eventually benefit from an improved knowledge and understanding. When she also developed breast cancer she had to endure various treatments and investigations, but for her the worst fear and outcome was the loss of her hair and especially her eyelashes. For Katie it was almost as if this was worse than the underlying diagnosis she was having to deal with. Despite all this she maintained an amazingly perfect appearance with perfect looking head gear and make up. During this time of what must have been considerable anxiety for her she would always quickly move her conversations on to …”and how are both of you?….whats been happening about…..with you?”. She was always focused on other people and their issues…..and keen to find out if there was anything she could do to help. She also took the opportunity again to make her condition known in the various media and to try to provide support for others who were going through similar experiences. It was clear in some of her conversations about her cancer condition as it progressed, that it did cause her considerable emotional pain and there were various tearful discussions as she would explain “…..and this is what I have decided to do”…. Earlier this year she would come to our home and sit in the garden talking quietly, but also laughing loudly. She and Freya would enjoy looking in the pond for snails, newts, tadpoles, frogs, dragon flies, water lilies….a peaceful time. She was totally single minded in terms of making sure she would carry out and enjoy as many exciting and happy activities as possible with Freya and various friends and relations; she was going to ensure that everyone would be filled with joyful memories as she knew she was approaching the end of her time with them. Her final written instruction is that we all wear brightly coloured odd socks at her funeral…..need I say anymore. Katie has brought as much release and positive, happy memories for Freya and the rest of the family as possible. Freya has been lovingly merged and accepted into a caring and supportive family with her dad and partner. She has an amazing mum to remember and all those things they did together. Katie has shown incredible bravery over the whole issue. She continued to work until a very late stage and made every effort to fit in as many exciting and fun events as possible with the intention that Freya and the rest of us will remember her that way. I miss her.

Thank you for setting up this memorial to Katie. We hope that you find it a positive experience developing the site and that it becomes a place of comfort and inspiration for you to visit whenever you want or need to.