I grew up in a very small village in the Surrey hills, very close to the north downs. Vickie and I met aged about 16 through a mutual friend, Doug, who worked in the village shop at the time. She had recently moved to the area, and in no time at all the three of us were almost inseparable. Others thought that Doug was having some strange threesome relationship with the two of us - this was definitely not the case!
At the time Vickie was at a nearby private school, which she hated, and we often snuck her out for evenings in the pub. Eventually she got caught, and was asked to leave, and shortly after moved up to London with her Mum. She still spent most of her time in the village, and was virtually living with Doug's family for most of the holiday time.
One of her ex-boyfriends later became my husband, and it was her that helped to get the two of us together, and was later the maid of honour at our wedding (we are now divorced).
When we were both about 19, I left England and went travelling for the first time. She later joined me in Australia, and as best mates we had a fantastic time for the first few weeks, but two strong and fiercely independent girls travelling together may not be the best mix, and we went our separate ways after quite a big argument.... when we had both returned to England however, the friendship resumed as good as ever.
We saw alot of her, and always had fun (although she was always late - we even started telling her to be ready an hour before we would pick her up and she waited until we arrived to start getting ready!), but she was also the one person who would freely tell me if I was being an idiot!
After a pretty bad run of boyfriends, she finally met Stu, and I have never seen her looking so radiant or happy before, and even more so after they became engaged. They had incredible plans and an amazing future ahead of them having sold everything in England, bought a large sailing boat in New Zealand, and they were going to base themselves around the South Pacific Islands and Australasia, running the boat as a dive club so that it would fund itself.
The last time that I saw Vickie was at her leaving do in London just before they went to New Zealand, which would have been early March, again looking so incredibly radiant and happy.
The next I heard, and was in Nepal at the time so the only contact was intermittent emails from other friends, was that she had been taken ill in New Zealand and admitted to hospital with pneumonia. A few days later I received another email - she was much more ill than first thought and was being medi-vaced back to England for treatment. The pneumonia had actually been caused by the cancer that was already attacking her lungs, liver and lower back, and was exceptionally invasive.
She was very sick in hospital, only seeing Stu and her immediate family, and undergoing very strong chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but the cancer was still progressing. A little time after arriving back, things started to look a little more positive, and she was allowed home for a weekend. A couple of people went to see her on the Saturday, and some other visitors had been arranged for the following week (myself included). On Sunday, she was with Stu taking a short walk in the garden when she fell over, when he asked her what happened she just replied 'I fell over'. She then died quickly in his arms.
Vickie was an amazing person - beautiful on both the inside and outside. Everyone that she met she touched in some way. I don't think I or anyone else can every understand why she was taken then, so young (just 27), beautiful and loving, but it is definitely how she will be remembered, and a little of her will always remain in our hearts.
This is what Stu wrote about their last couple of days together, and shared with us, shortly after her death:
Vickie came home with us on Friday morning. It was a beautiful and sunny day, she rested in the conservatory enjoying the warmth, ate dinner with us at the table. In the afternoon, we took off our socks and walked around the two acres of garden in bare feet, feeling the grass between our toes. We even managed a little dance whilst I sang her the song we'd planned to play on our wedding day. Vickie talked to me about her improving health, grateful and happy that the Cromwell Hospital had given her the ability to beat the cancer and, in time, resume a full and normal life with me. Her hope and faith was restored, something that had left her in New Zealand.
Saturday was a busy day, visits from her father, brother and good friend Andy, more walks around the garden, with Pippin, her yorkshire terrier puppy in tow. That afternoon we managed to cuddle up on the sofa for a snooze. A simple pleasure, something that we hadn't managed to enjoy since Vickie had been admitted to hospital on Easter Monday. After dinner, we resumed our position and watched Desperate Housewives, one of Vickie's favourites - although admittedly the excitement of the last couple of days had taken it's toll on both of us, and so both dozed off. At around 10:00pm we made our way up the stairs, said our goodnights with words of love and our usual hugs and nose nussles.
On Sunday morning Vickie collapsed. I was with her within seconds, took her hand and asked her what happened. "I fell over" was her simple reply. Vickie then died in my arms, quickly and without distress. The paramedics where with us within 7 minutes of being notified, however there was nothing that they could do.
This is a tragic and unfair end to a bright, generous and beautiful young life. The world has lost some of its sparkle, now that Vickie has been taken away. However a question that I have asked myself on a number of times is, given that this awful disease had taken root, could we have done more to help her health or make her happy, is there anything else that I wanted to say or felt that I should have done. Thankfully my answer to this is a resounding no, she had friends and familly around her until the last, she was surrounded by love, she died at home in my arms with belief in her heart that she would pull through. Vickie is an example to us all, she carried herself through the ordeal with grace and serenity, she greeted everyone that came into her room with a wonderful smile that lit up the whole room. She has shown us how we can be in times of trouble and pain, a valuable lesson for the fortcoming months and years.
Vickie's family chose Marie Curie as the charity that they wished friends and family to give support due to the amazing care and treatment that they gave her while she was sick, and for the same amazing treatment that they give cancer patients across the country. For this reason we have decided to give Marie Curie our full support.
I grew up in a very small village in the Surrey hills, very close to the north downs. Vickie and I met aged about 16 through a mutual friend, Doug, who worked in the village shop at the time. She had recently moved to the area, and in no time at all the three of us were almost inseparable. Others thought that Doug was having some strange threesome relationship with the two of us - this was definitely not the case!
