14 tcf.org.uk Our beautiful firstborn child Joanne would have celebrated her 42nd birthday on 14th September this year. Joanne Elizabeth McCann was just 35 years old when she lost her battle with cancer. She was a remarkable young woman who managed to achieve so much in her life cut short by this terrible illness. Joanne had worked as a primary school teacher for 14 years being Head of Early Years and had also travelled around the world, visiting Italy, The Balearic Islands, Greece, The Seychelles, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, and the United States of America, doing white water rafting, glacier hikes, sky diving and horse riding while she was away. She was so caring and generous, full of life, fun to be in the company of and adored by her younger brothers Christopher and Andrew. She loved to drive around in her silver MG soft top sports car and enjoy her independence and she loved the children she taught, and they loved her. Joanne loved most types of music but especially Motown and jazz and went to many gigs, festivals and wherever there was dancing whenever she could. She also loved sport and watched tennis and rugby and when she was relaxing, she loved to read, arts and craft and was very good at cross-stitch sewing. Joanne married in 2014, a wonderful day. In July 2015 her beautiful daughter Annabel Rose was born following a healthy and uneventful pregnancy. Our family joy was cruelly cut short when Joanne was diagnosed with a very rare type of pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer just two days after the birth and was transferred as an emergency admission to Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge for life-saving procedures and treatment which continued for the next two and a half years. Despite being so unwell and making frequent visits to Addenbrookes, then University College London and finally the Royal Free Hospital for treatment after being diagnosed, Joanne continued to be the best Mummy she could to Annabel and spent time making many memories with her daughter and all her family, including visiting Disneyland Paris, going on a short cruise, Centre Parcs twice and two annual summer holidays to Menorca. We also took Joanne with Annabel to the holy Roman Catholic shrine at Lourdes in France where they both braved the cold mountain water baths with us and other pilgrims. She was incredibly determined, set goals, and achieved them for both her and Annabel, an inspiration to us all. Joanne was a beautiful woman, inside and out, and endured her illness and many different radiotherapy, targeted nuclear and drug treatments with great strength and dignity. Her strong Catholic faith helped Joanne throughout her life but particularly when she became ill with the cancer. Remembering Joanne Elizabeth McCann (nee Miles) Shared by Linda and Colin Miles COMPASSION | FEATURE: REMEMBERING JOANNE ELIZABETH MCCANN (NEE MILES)
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