Tragedy as ‘super mum’, 33, dies just 18 months after her partner passed away – leaving 11-year-old daughters orphaned
A mum has tragically died just 18 months after her partner, leaving their 11-year-old daughters orphaned.
Hannah Whittall, 33, nicknamed “super mum”, had kept her breast cancer diagnosis secret from her daughters, Isabelle and Emmy, who had already lost their dad to pneumonia.
The mum, from Staffordshire, had been told she was cured of the disease after undergoing months of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy in August 2024.
However, she relapsed within a month, with the cancer having also spread to her bones.
Hannah’s brother, Thomas, 33, told Birmingham Live that the orphaned girls are currently being looked after by Hannah’s dad and his wife.
He added: “They loved their mum and didn’t spend more than two days away from Hannah and the only time they did was when she was in hospital, they were obsessed with her.”
In a GoFundMe fundraiser set up for Isabelle and Emmy, which has so far raised £38,500, a family member elaborated on the events leading up to Hannah’s death.
They told how she had received her diagnosis on January 5, 2024 after discovering a lump under her arm.
Shortly afterwards, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.
In the months following, Hannah was forced to give up her cleaning business to focus on a six-month course of chemotherapy.
The treatment also threw her into a chemically induced menopause.
Worried about telling her twins, Hannah “led a double life,” the family member said, adding: “She fought the disease in secret, wearing a wig from February onwards to mask the hair loss.
“She fought fiercely, and her daughters never saw the toll the chemotherapy was taking on her body.”
In September 2024, Hannah was given the all-clear – and was finally able to tell her daughters the truth.
But just a month later, she learned that the cancer had returned – and was this time Stage 4.
After Christmas, the mum returned back to hospital where she deteriorated rapidly – suffering with pneumonia, HMPV and sepsis.
She died on January 14, surrounded by her closest family including Isabelle and Emmy.
In a touching tribute, the family member added: “Hannah may have lost her battle with cancer, but her spirit, her love, and her strength will never be forgotten.
“She was the funniest most loved person who touched the lives of everyone she met and a mother who gave everything for her children, and in that, she left behind a legacy that will last for generations to come.”
What are the signs of breast cancer?
BREAST cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK.
The majority of women who get it are over 50, but younger women and, in rare cases, men can also get breast cancer.
If it’s treated early enough, breast cancer can be prevented from spreading to other parts of the body.
Breast cancer can have a number of symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue.
Most breast lumps aren’t cancerous, but it’s always best to have them checked by your doctor. You should also speak to your GP if you notice any of the following:
- a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts
- discharge from either of your nipples (which may be streaked with blood)
- a lump or swelling in either of your armpits
- dimpling on the skin of your breasts
- a rash on or around your nipple
- a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast
Source: NHS