RIP - Jane Tomlinson

Jane Tomlinson, CBE (21 February 1964 -- 3 September 2007) was a British campaigner and fund raiser for cancer charities. She was a graduate of Sheffield Hallam University with a postgraduate certificate in medical imaging practice in 2002, and worked as a radiographer at Leeds General Infirmary.

As of June 2007 she suffered from advanced metastatic breast cancer; the disease was diagnosed incurable on 31 August 2000.

In the last six years she had had four courses of chemotherapy. The last one, which consisted of Taxol, finished on 27 April 2007. She was also taking courses of the cancer drug Herceptin. As a result of the drug regimes, Jane had developed chronic heart disease.

Jane was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire ([1]). Despite her incurable cancer she completed a full Ironman (4km Swim, 180Km bike ride and full marathon) inside 17 hours. She had completed two half Ironmans, and the London Marathon 3 times, as well as the New York Marathon and three London Triathlons. She is the only person known to have ever taken part in a marathon while on chemotherapy.

Honours

Awarded the MBE by the Queen in 2003, winner of the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC in 2002, twice recognised at the Sportswoman of the Year Awards, won a Great Briton Award and voted the most Inspirational Woman in Britain in 2003. Jane Tomlinson was awarded the CBE in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours List (2007 Queen's Birthday Honours List).

[edit] History

The first race Jane took part in was the 5 km Race for Life in May 2001, and 5 years later is participating in a bike ride that totals a distance of 6781.8 km.

On Thursday 29 June 2006, Jane set off from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on her biggest fundraising challenge yet - a gruelling 4200 miles cycle ride across the United States, which was the greatest endurance feat ever to be attempted by someone with terminal cancer. Her aim was to raise over £1,250,000 (US$2million) for UK and American based cancer and children's charities.

She completed this task on Friday 1 September 2006 when she arrived in New York. Unfortunately her ride failed to attract much media attention in the United States and Jane raised much less than her ambitious target, although she still managed to raise about £100,000 (US$200,000). [1].

In spring 2007 it was announced that Jane was now too ill to train for future physical challenges. However, she organised and signalled the start of "Run for All", a 10 kilometre event which took place in Leeds on 24 June 2007 with about 10,000 participants[2].

She died on 3rd September 2007.([3]).

[edit] Controversy

She had complained of abusive phone calls from people suspecting that she has lied about having terminal cancer ([4]). At one point, several UK tabloid newspapers dispatched reporters to investigate this rumour, but they found no basis for it ([5]).

She had also been criticised for the amount of time she spends away from home and her offspring. The trip across America was 15 months in the planning, and took nine weeks. "People often ask if Jane regrets spending so much time away from her kids, but the simple answer is that she doesn't," stated her husband Mike in an interview in May 2007. "Our eldest, Suzanne, is 21 and has graduated from university, and Rebecca is 18 and about to go to university. She isn't going to say 'look, I'm dying - can you stay at home, please'. She wants to let them flourish. Jane is actually very precious about the time she spends with the children. Steven, our youngest, was in America for the whole time she was doing the bike ride. It's really misleading to say that she's in some way neglected them, but frankly we don't mind it too much, as we know it simply isn't true" ([6]).

Other cancer sufferers have also complained that Tomlinson was setting standards by which others with terminal illnesses will be judged. Her appeal has received letters from concerned breast cancer groups, asking her to take a lower profile. However, she denied that she was seeking to set herself up as a role-model. "I've done this principally to raise funds," she said. "I am not trying to inspire people to put their bodies on the line. Everyone reacts differently to a terminal illness. I've never sought to make people think they have to go out and run marathons; it's simply my way of staying positive and to keep my life moving forward. There are lots of other ways to keep positive, and of course they are all equally valid"

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[chillinkillin07]

RIP Jane I will love u always as an auntie and as a brave hero You have met your peace and you can join grandad paul(your Dad) and rest in peace with him love you lots

your nephew adam I will miss you well done

[Indogo]

jane you are amazing,I love you xxx

[warriorprince1010]

@ShellleyA Quit the personal insults idiot. Cancer is diet related and telling people that they can save their lives and live is the right thing to do. Doing the work of wealthy chairties, pharmaceutical companies and the politicians and media companies is disgusting. Lying to people and saying their is no hope. Fruit and veg eaten raw as science has shown will cure all cancers, full stop.

[space00091]

Jane was a true inspiration,and touched the lives of so many people, my mum died of cancer in 2004 aged 54,she lived in doncaster, her name was jane and her maiden name was tomlinson!, she loved to see jane on tv, and kept up with all she was doing right up til the end.

its wonerfull to see film of jane,and what she did to help others, a brave hero with a heart of gold.

i support janes appeal and encourage anyone touched by janes life to do the same

xxxx

[CuddyMiller]

Cheers for doing this video..Jane was such an inspiration,what a woman...I miss seeing her pop up on the tv doing yet another fabulous run or bike ride..God Love Her...

[ShellleyA]

Warrior prince or whatever your name is ..you are a total f*** ing ass hole n havnt a clue what you're talking about! Ignorant comments like yours on sites like this are all premeditated and done for effect! Well done, you did it... now ****off and let those who want to celebrate Jane's life do so without reading total crap from you!! Asshole!

[zuret9]

What a wonderful human being. Thanks for continuing to be such an inspiration to us all.

R.I.P Jane, you will always be in our thoughts

[siobhanlr]

R.I.P jane and every did u proud 2day who did the leeds 10k run. ur son and husband ur amzin people

[warriorprince1010]

Giving money to fraudulent cancer charities is helping them make money and increasing ignorance. Jane died when she could have lived if she had changed her diet.

[BassFishingOnToast]

Couldn't agree anymore.

Jade Goody was just a mouth on a stick which got her famous.

[ToniLCD]

All the while others elsewhere on youtube are praisng to the heavens Jade Goody who di as far as I am concerned nothing for the benefit of others but lots for her own personal greed

[xcrazydj]

She died the day before my birthday she was a real hero