“I love you” were final three words of mother with brain tumour

Lucy Jenkins, known as Lucy Farnes to many people in Horsham, died at the age of 25 in the early hours of Sunday (February 16).

Lucy, who grew up in Arunside, was a mother to six-year-old Leah and a step mother to 10-year-old Cameron.

Her husband Dave was asleep next to her holding her hand when she passed away.

He said he thought Lucy was ready to say goodbye after spending her final day celebrating Mother’s Day early because Leah was upset that she might miss the real day.

Dave said: “We sat around her bed and we gave her all the presents Leah made her and mummy sat there and only managed to say three words.

“She said ‘I love you’ to Leah. And those were her last words.”

Lucy was diagnosed with a brain tumour in August 2011, one month after her wedding to Dave. She was originally given 12 months to live.

Family and friends, including former colleagues from One Stop, in Roffey, have been fund raising to make Lucy’s last wish come true.

Her wish was for Dave and the children to go to Disneyland after she passed.

Dave said: “On Saturday night One Stop said it looks like we will be getting the kids to Disneyland and I said that to Lucy and it’s almost like everything she wanted to get done had been done.

“That night her breathing slowed right down...I tried to stay awake with her and was awake till 2.30am.

“It was like she waited for me to fall asleep.“

Dave said the next night when he looked up to the sky with Leah he saw a bright flickering star.

He said: “I said to Leah, that’s mummy because mummy couldn’t walk, she couldn’t dance, and now you know that’s mummy because she’s free and she’s having a boogy up there.”

Dave said Lucy was loved by everyone who met her because she was ‘infectious’.

He said: “As soon as I met her I fell in love with her.

“Everyone always says I’m strong but really it was Lucy that was my rock. Her smile kept me going.

“I know she would want me to say thank you to everyone that’s been involved in the fund raising. It’s overwhelming.

“She’s all about life and I know she would be proud of Leah and the way they’re dealing with things.”

The family have lived in Hampshirein since 2011.

Fund raising events are still going ahead in aid of Lucy’s Last Wish. Mr Chips, in the Bishopric, is selling raffle tickets and ribbons in aid of the cause.