Bride's heartbreaking message from beyond grave. Photo / Gemma Sisson
Bride's heartbreaking message from beyond grave. Photo / Gemma Sisson
A bride who lost her two-year battle with cancer has stunned her family after posting a powerful message on Facebook from beyond the grave.
Gemma Sisson, a body builder and bikini model from Leeds, UK, was diagnosed with pelvic cancer in April 2018. She was given the all-clear in July the following year, but then doctors discovered she had an incurable secondary cancer in her spine, liver and stomach.
She died on Wednesday in the arms of her husband of just two months, Ricky Moore.
But just hours after her death, a post appeared on Sisson's Facebook account, that began: "If this is being posted it means I've finally died after weeks of clinging on far too long."
In it, the 39-year-old writes about her devastation that the cancer pulled her away from her loved ones, and calls for the UK's National Health Service to make secondary cancer scans mandatory.
"Although I'll be heartbroken to leave behind all my loved ones I'll be so glad to get away from what this b**tard disease has left me as," she said.
Seven months after being given the all-clear, Gemma was told she had cancer in three other places in her body. Photo / Facebook/Gemma Sisson
"[I] really hope that by sharing my cancer story and petitioning for secondary cancers scans to be made mandatory I've made a positive impact, and even if only one person gets some help from this then I will feel like I have accomplished something good."
Sisson went on to thank her husband, friends and family for the "amazing amount of love and support throughout this horrific time" and from the strangers who sent her nice messages on social media.
"If anyone is going to take anything from this, it is that life is short and that we all think these sort of things will never happen to us," she said.
"Well I thought that, and let me tell you now, this could happen to any one of you reading this.
"So live your life to the fullest, don't take anything or anyone for granted because none of us really know what is around the corner."
She signed off the post by saying she was "glad my time is up" and said she was looking forward to seeing everyone "on the flip side".
Sisson's message from beyond the grave captured the hearts of many, racking up more than 3000 shares and more than 100 comments from friends and loved ones.
"Gemma was simply an amazing person. I will miss her humour, personality, and courage," one wrote.
The post appeared on her Facebook account a day after her death from cancer. Photo / Facebook/Gemma Sisson
"So sad ... you were an amazing, inspirational, wonderful and beautiful girl," another said.
"Such an inspiration for what you've started to help others and people will continue to take forward for you," another wrote.
Others expressed their sorrow at the loss, writing the post had left them "absolutely devastated".
"You fought a tremendously brave fight lady, and forged a trail with this petition to help others; a true selfless act," one said.
Another wrote: "What unbelievable strength you have Gemma Sisson. You beautiful soldier."
After being diagnosed with the terminal secondary cancer last year, a petition was set up by one of Sisson's friends in her name, calling on the NHS to make full body scans during cancer recovery mandatory.
In the UK, standard practice is to only re-scan the area where the cancer was originally identified, which fails to detect any spread of the disease elsewhere in the body.
She married her long-term partner in May but the couple chose not to share any pictures of their hospital bed wedding. Photo / Facebook/Gemma Sisson
Sisson was first diagnosed with pelvic cancer, but after a course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy she was told she had "no active disease" in January 2019, according to local reports last year.
However, seven months later the disease was discovered in her spine after it caused her vertebrae to collapse. It was also in her liver and stomach.
Despite undergoing chemotherapy every three weeks, she knew the cancer would eventually take her life – something she believed could have been prevented if she'd had the full scan earlier.
Since being created, the petition has had more than 110,000 signatures.
In May, Sisson married her partner of almost 16 years from her hospital bed. Moore wrote on Facebook at the time she "made me the proudest man in the world today and I am honoured to call you my wife".
