Nicola Nuttall, mother of fearless brain cancer campaigner Laura, who died in the early hours of Monday morning aged just 23, has paid tribute to her daughter and the amazing bucket list experiences she managed to tick off despite being only given a year to live following her diagnosis five years ago.
Nicola wrote on her Twitter account @s***scaredmum about the family’s heartbreak, saying of Laura: ‘She was fierce & tenacious to the end & it was truly the honour of my life to be her mum.’
She added that her daughter had been ‘a force of nature’ and that herself, husband Mark and younger sister Gracie ‘are devastated at the thought of life without our girl.’
Since her death, thousands of tributes have poured in for Laura, including from those who helped her to complete an extraordinary bucket list – that saw her meet Michelle Obama, drive a London Tube train and fly over the Equator – that she created after doctors gave her just a year to live in October 2018.
Brain tumour campaigner Laura Nuttall, who died on May 22 aged 23, defied being given just a year to live by doctors after her diagnosis with a stage 4 glioblastoma in 2018 – she went on to meet a host of stars after writing a bucket list including two meetings with former First Lady Michelle Obama
The 23-year-old, who thought her symptoms were ‘freshers’ flu’ when she first became ill nearly five years ago, passed away at home in Lancashire where she was receiving palliative care.
She had been diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma while in her first year of study for an international relations degree at University College London after a routine eye test led to the discovery of multiple brain tumours.
The brave campaigner underwent operations, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and eventually went back to university in Manchester, where she graduated with a 2:1 in politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) last summer.
She raised tens of thousands of pounds for pioneering treatment and was an ambassador for the Brain Tumour Charity.
Her family have shared updates about her condition online – including her heartbreaking final days – through social media and the Doing it For Laura campaign.
Final days: Laura’s mother Nicola has kept followers up to date as her daughter’s health declined, posting this photo last week of her squeezing Laura’s hand
After undergoing treatment, Laura managed to complete her degree, graduating with a 2:1 in politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) last summer
Last week, Nicola shared a photo on Twitter of herself holding Laura’s hand and gave an update on her daughter’s condition.
It read: ‘The curtain’s half closed but the window’s open & we feel the breeze & hear the birds. Laura breathes in & breathes out.
‘When the gap gets long I hold my breath but she’s as tenacious in death as she was in life, despite a week without food or water. We hold hands & she squeezes.’
While fundraising for her treatment, Laura enlisted the help of Peter Kay who was semi-retired at the time.
In 2021, Peter Kay, second from left, joined the Nuttall family’s efforts, hosting a Q&A session on glioblastoma in honour of Laura and performing a charity concert
Everton fan Laura also met the stars of the Premier League squad, receiving a signed ball from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford
Driver Andrew Frankel paid tribute to the campaigner, writing: ‘In 2019 I failed to scare her witless in a McLaren 720S at a wet Silverstone’ after Frankel helped her achieve one of her bucket list items
Alongside a tank, a bus and a 650-tonne crane, Laura also added a London Tube to her bucket list
In 2021, the comedian joined the Nuttall family’s efforts, hosting a Q&A session on glioblastoma in honour of Laura and performing a charity concert.
Her ambitious bucket list saw her tick off a remarkable number of dream opportunities before her health declined – including a trip to the Heinz Baked Beans factory, captaining a warship and being driven around Silverstone in a Maclaren racing car.
Alongside a pub lunch and an on-stage appearance with Peter Kay – after he’d been out of the public eye for four years – she also enjoyed a fishing trip with Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse, had a photo taken alongside Fiona Bruce and met one of her favourite actors, Gillian Anderson.
Driver Andrew Frankel paid tribute to the campaigner, writing: ‘In 2019 I failed to scare her witless in a McLaren 720S at a wet Silverstone’ after Frankel helped her achieve one of her bucket list items.
While studying for her degree, Laura was juggling her university work with pioneering cancer treatment in Germany, which came with its own challenges.
On July 6 last year, the day of Laura’s graduation, Nicola posted an update on her GoFundMe page praising her daughter’s remarkable achievement.
She wrote: ‘In the last 3 years [Laura has] had:
- 19 weeks of immunotherapy treatment in Germany
- 11 cycles of chemo
- 6 rounds of keytruda checkpoint inhibitor
- 4 units of blood
- 2 further brain surgeries
‘Today she got a 2:1 in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
The Lionesses also shared their condolences – Laura’s mum said watching the England team win at Wembley in the Euros had been a fantastic experience for mother and daughter
Laura (pictured with her father Mark) said she could not have achieved any of the incredible things she has done without the support of her family
Laura pictured in childhood with her sister Gracie
Laura had chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy and several operations since she was diagnosed in October 2018 (pictured, right, after one of her operations)
‘It’s been so tough, working through sickness and fatigue and in little Airbnbs in Cologne with dodgy WiFi, but she did it and we could not be any prouder of her.
‘Thank you so much for all your help and support in funding her treatment, I honestly don’t think she’d be here without it.’
Speaking at her graduation, Laura said: ‘If someone tells me I can’t do something, it makes me even more determined to do it and prove them wrong – my family knows that all too well.
‘So when a doctor told me that I wouldn’t be able to go back to university, I thought, “we’ll see about that” and it made me want to do my degree even more. Now here we are.’
Since Laura’s diagnosis in 2018 she lived out several ‘bucket list’ experiences, including sitting in the driving seat of a train. She also met several influential people including the Obamas and Gillian Anderson.
She also wrote a moving letter to pupils at Barrowford Primary School, sharing with them the lessons she has learnt in life.
In March, the BBC reported that Laura was undergoing a course of electro hyperthermia after having another operation and was feeling ‘hopeful’ for the future.
‘We had to decide on a next step and my doctor suggested maybe I go to Germany and see if I could have the treatment here,’ she said.
In the last few weeks of Laura’s live, Nicola said the family were spending as much time together as possible in the spring sunshine.
She also said she was ‘pretty sure’ that Laura enjoyed watching the Eurovision Song Contest a few weeks ago.
Last week, Nicola shared how the family were making a cast of Laura holding onto her sister Gracie’s hand.
Posting a photo of the first look at the final thing, she said: ‘This is just the first plaster version but I already love it.’
To learn more about Laura’s campaign to raise awareness of glioblastoma, visit her website, Doing It For Laura