The family of a young woman who devoted her precious last months to campaigning for the benefit of future brain tumour sufferers have vowed to continue her fight. Speaking candidly for the first time, her fiancé and sister told Flossie Mainwaring-Taylor of their abounding pride for the 25-year-old who showed remarkable bravery, defiance and resilience in the face of a terminal diagnosis

FROM the outset Anna Swabey refused to be defined by her brain tumour.

And despite initially being given three months to live – and later an average of three years – she turned her attention to making a difference.

Tragically, the young, fit and otherwise healthy first-class graduate from Newton Aycliffe, in County Durham, was only granted 20 months and her passing on September 16 nevertheless came as a huge shock to her loved ones.

 

“Straight away it was about being positive about her own situation even though she always knew whatever it was she was doing in terms of raising awareness and fundraising wasn’t going to make a difference to her outcome,” said her sister, Victoria Cartwright.

“Her outlook was always if what she was doing would help one person in the future then obviously she’d feel like she’d done something worthwhile.”

Courageous Anna, then 23, started a blog, which on Facebook alone currently has more than 10,500 likes, and dedicated her time to driving a petition for a Parliamentary debate and raising awareness and funds into brain tumour research.

During her journey she set a target of £100,000 for the Brain Tumour Research Campaign – a figure reached on the day of her funeral thanks to the final £15,000 raised within one week of her death.

“I don’t think Anna fully realised the impact she was having on people,” added 36-year-old Mrs Cartwright.

“She could see a lot of people were reacting to the blog and she was spending a lot of time corresponding with them, offering her support and help in any way that she could to other people.

“She’s started something that has become even bigger than she could have imagined and we all feel we owe it to her to continue with what she’s achieved so far.”

But the biggest difference she made of all was to the life of one person, the love of her life, fiancé Andy Bell.

The pair met on Tinder shortly after Miss Swabey’s diagnosis and from three days in were “inseparable”.

In September 2015 the pair moved in together and Mr Bell popped the question at a hotel in Manchester before going to see a concert.

“She jumped into my arms and said of course I’ll marry you,” he said. “It was one of the best days of my life.”

They had planned to wed in September and though Miss Swabey passed away on the eve of the big day, her beloved fiancé is adamant he and others do not dwell on what did not happen, but cherish everything that did.

“We didn’t need the day to tell me that Anna was my wife or she was to be Mrs Bell,” he said.

“From the day she said yes we were married, she was my wife and that was it.

“She’s beautiful… she’s so funny and witty and a genuine person. She was my best friend. I had so much fun with her and I wouldn’t change a moment – even if you could get rid of the tumour or whatever else, if she didn’t have a tumour she wouldn’t have moved to the North-East and I wouldn’t have met her or had those 18 months of being with her.

"I’m lucky to have had that time.”

With the support of each-other, Mr Bell, Miss Swabey’s sister, mother, father and wider family have pledged their commitment to keeping her legacy alive with the same spirit which she showed.

Mrs Cartwright added: “The statistics show so many people suffer from brain tumours but Anna was somebody who took that and turned it into a positive. Because she was able to do that I think it’s important we continue with what she did and not lose that momentum.”

To donate to the Brain Tumour Research Campaign visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/InsideMyHead