A mum who fought to raise awareness of a rare symptom of lung cancer has died.
Jean Taylor, 53, has passed away less than a year after she was diagnosed with the disease, which she only discovered after her fingernails started to swell and curve around her finger tips.
Jean initially thought it was just a family trait, until her daughter Stephanie Googled Jean’s strange curving nails and realised it could be ‘clubbed nail’ – a rare sign of lung cancer – and urged her mum to see a doctor.
Just a month after her visit to the GP, Jean was given the devastating news that she did have lung cancer.
She was initially given a 70 per cent chance of survival last summer, and credited her 'ugly' nails with saving her life.
But sadly, the cancer spread to her lungs, bones, liver and brain.
It was Jean's wish to spend her last days with her family in Wigan and Leigh Hospice, where she died peacefully on Monday.
Now Stephanie has paid tribute to her mum, and says the family orientated grandmother-of-three carried on trying to raise awareness even as her health failed her.
Stephanie said: "She was just so bubbly and and happy, just a genuinely nice person.
"She was always joking, she loved having a laugh.
"We are all absolutely devastated, she was like a mum and a dad."
Even when she was very ill, Jean, who was also mum to son Aiden, remained determined to warn other people to be on the lookout for the rare symptom.
She refused to cut her nails, and had them painted with glitter, saying that she'd do anything she could to raise awareness, even if it meant 'putting silver bells and fireworks on the end of her nails'.
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Her family and friends rallied round to support her, with many people taking part in fundraising events to support Jean, who lived in Wigan.
Hundreds of tributes have also poured in for 'inspirational' Jean on the #TeamJean Facebook page, from friends as well as people who never met her but were inspired by her bravery.
Stephanie added: "She had so many friends, it's gone crazy on Facebook. She was loved so much, it's unbelievable.
"She had a Facebook page with thousands of followers, and even when she was poorly she'd be getting me or her friends to update it.
"She was in Wigan and Leigh Hospice, that's where she wanted to be and they were absolutely amazing."
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