Tribute to a brave mum of three

A Sheffield mother of three dies after a brain tumor battle, triggering community fundraising for funeral costs.

Forever 42 pays tribute to a brave mum of three

Catherine Wilcockson, 42, from Sheffield, died on August 17 after a six-year battle with a brain tumor. She was diagnosed in 2019 after symptoms were initially mistaken for panic attacks and treated with antidepressants before the cancer was found. She underwent radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a nine-hour operation that removed about 80 percent of the tumor. She was given the all-clear in June 2020, but later learned the tumor had returned, with links drawn to a six-month period on hormone replacement therapy. A Go Fund Me page set up by family and friends to cover funeral costs for her three daughters has already raised more than £2,000 from around 100 donations.

Local supporters say goodbye and rally to support Catherine’s children while they navigate life without their mum. The fundraising page emphasizes a final wish to give the family the best possible send-off and to relieve some financial pressure during an incredibly difficult time.

The story shows how brain tumor symptoms can be mistaken for anxiety, delaying diagnosis and treatment. It also highlights how illness places a heavy burden on families long after treatment ends, with funeral costs added to the grief. The Go Fund Me effort illustrates how communities fill gaps in care through generosity, while raising questions about the sufficiency of public support for end-of-life costs and the potential role of treatment timelines in disease progression.

Highlights

The story reminds readers that care extends beyond medical treatment and into community support for families.