Kirsty Neilson was diagnosed with incurable cancer in early 2024
Kirsty Neilson was a devoted mum of two young boys(Image: Charlotte Mariano)
Tributes have been paid to a devoted single mum and “extraordinary woman” who tragically died from cancer at the age of just 39. Kirsty Neilson, a mum of two young boys from Hedon, is described by loved ones as having a “heart of gold” and as a “ray of sunshine”.
Relatives say Kirsty, a nursery nurse, was “so tough and so brave” in the face of the kidney cancer which led to her death on February 24. Her two young boys are now living with their auntie and uncle, who have two children of their own and had been supporting Kirsty since her diagnosis two years ago.
Charlotte Mariano, who lives in Kingswood, says the boys have been extremely brave and “just like Kirsty” in being resilient and courageous. She said: “Kirsty was just full of life – and very childlike at times. She just loved children, being playful. My boys loved her because she was often on the same wavelength as them.
“She was just such fun and a lovely, lovely person. She’d do anything for anybody and was really kind.
“And also incredibly stubborn. She just desperately wanted to live and see her children grow up. So she put up a really big fight.”
Kirsty was described as a ‘lovely, caring woman'(Image: Charlotte Mariano)
Kristy ran an Instagram account called Incurable to Hope in which she documented her experiences fighting Squamous Cell Carcinoma as a single parent – raising awareness of parenting while living with cancer. She referred to herself and the boys as the “three musketeers”.
Charlotte explained that when Kirsty was told her cancer was incurable, in January 2024, she and her husband stepped in to support the young mum and remove uncertainty as to what would happen to her boys.
Having worked at a school, Kirsty had returned to college, picking up further qualifications and passing her driving test. Charlotte remembers Kirsty’s love of fantasy books and her creative imagination. She said: “She had lots of big dreams and lots of aspirations.”
Kirsty had returned to college to earn more qualifications(Image: Charlotte Mariano)
A close friend of Kirsty, Amy Rothwell, has set up a fundraiser to support the boys. The Gofundme page has now attracted more than £3,500 which will be given to Charlotte to support Kirsty’s boys.
Amy said: “Two days before she passed away, I was in Dove House Hospice with her, and a couple of other friends, and it was one of the nicest moments. I didn’t know it was going to be one of my last with her, but she was just a ray of sunshine.
“She was hilarious, funny and just a lovely, caring woman that was always trying to see the positive side of things. She’d say things like ‘this cancer has never met anyone like me before’. She was just so positive.
“But on the other hand she was also petrified. She was really well thought of, so lovely and had a heart of gold and a great mum.”
Amy added: “Charlotte and Frankie had been absolute angels. I just couldn’t even imagine what they’ve taken on. They were there for Kirsty throughout the whole process.”
A funeral for Kirsty will take place on March 27 at Lelley Fields Crematorium.
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