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5 months ago
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A mother-of-two who openly shared her battle with cancer wrote a heartbreaking final message to announce her own death.
Kate Rackham, who was diagnosed with incurable oestrogen-receptive breast cancer at the age of 39, tweeted: 'If you're reading this, I have died but do not cry for me.'
The teacher from Morecambe, Lancashire, went on to say 'I have lived my life on my own terms, the way I have wanted to'.
During her brave battle against the deadly disease she shared updates with her 22,000 followers and helped to set up the Fighting to be Heard charity to raise awareness about the condition.
Her agonising final message yesterday morning read: 'If you're reading this, it means I have died.
Mother-of-two Kate Rackham wrote a heartbreaking final message to announce her own death.
Mrs Raclham was diagnosed with incurable oestrogen-receptive breast cancer at the age of 39
In her final post she wrote 'If you're reading this, I have died but do not cry for me. I have lived my life on my own terms, the way I have wanted to'
'But do not cry for me. I have lived my life on my own terms, the way I have wanted to.
'I joined X because I needed an outlet, what I got was so much more.
'You made me feel validated in my feelings and much less alone. Thank you.'
Thousands of tributes have poured in on social media since her death was announced including from Nicola Nuttall, whose daughter Laura died of brain cancer at the age of 23.
She wrote: 'Heartbroken that we've lost this truly incredible woman.
'Kate really knew how to live, she wanted to come up Pendle but wouldn't wait for better weather because she knew better than anyone the value of a single day. We nearly got blown off but it was brilliant, so glad we met.'
Mrs Rackham previously told the BBC her diagnosis came as a 'massive shock' and spoke of her 'massive' struggles with hair loss while going through chemotherapy.
'It's really hard losing your hair. It's not just losing your hair, it's losing your eyelashes and eyebrows as well,' she told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Thousands of tributes have poured in on social media since her death was announced. She helped to set up the Fighting to be Heard charity to raise awareness about the condition
'That's the difference between looking like you are rocking a bald head and looking like you are on chemotherapy.'
She last shared a health update on June 7 in which she apologised for her 'lack of communication recently'.
'And then hearing the words, "there is nothing more we can do",' she wrote. 'I needed a bit of time.'
She added: 'I'm now home, where I want to be. With Mark [her husband] and the girls. Surrounded by love, family and friends. Everyone is rallying around and I have so much support. Despite everything I feel blessed.'
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