When 44-year-old Laura Dawson began feeling bloated and constantly exhausted, she chalked it up to perimenopause. Like many women her age, she dismissed the symptoms as part of midlife changes. But her world turned upside down when one night, gripped by excruciating stomach pain that left her unable to move, she was rushed to the emergency room.
There, doctors discovered a serious blockage in her colon. Emergency surgery followed—and while the operation was initially deemed a success, a biopsy revealed the devastating truth: Laura had stage three bowel cancer.
“I thought I was just going through a normal phase in a woman’s life,” Laura had shared. But the diagnosis changed everything.
Despite the grim news, Laura chose to live differently. “Knowing I was going to die gave me permission to live more fully,” she said. In the months that followed, she embraced each moment with new intensity. Surrounded by her husband Ben, 49, and their two children, she filled her days with laughter, connection, and meaning.
After six months of chemotherapy, the initial scans looked hopeful, Ben recalled. But ultimately, the cancer proved aggressive.
Still, Laura described her final weeks as some of the happiest of her life—proof that even in the face of death, joy and love can shine the brightest.
When Laura Dawson first began experiencing bloating and fatigue, the 44-year-old mother of two believed she was entering perimenopause. It wasn’t until crippling stomach pain left her unable to move that she was rushed to the hospital—where a sudden turn in her life began.
Doctors discovered a severe blockage in her colon. Emergency surgery followed, and while the operation was initially successful, a biopsy delivered heartbreaking news: Laura had stage three bowel cancer.
“We got one clear scan in August and it all seemed promising,” recalled her husband, Ben Dawson, 49. “But then in September, we got the news that it was back—and it had spread. That was absolutely gut-wrenching.”
Laura endured multiple rounds of chemotherapy, holding onto hope. But two months before her passing, she made the courageous decision to stop treatment. The side effects were no longer worth the time they were stealing. Instead, she chose presence over pain—and time with her family over hospitals and side effects.
With support from St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham, south-east London, Laura was able to remain at home in comfort, surrounded by her loved ones. Eventually, she transitioned to in-patient care at the hospice, where she passed away peacefully on June 29.
Ben was by her side.
“The care Laura received allowed her to have her final weeks in dignity and peace,” Ben said. “The team at St Christopher’s was compassionate beyond words. In the face of something so tragic, they helped give us something positive.”
Laura had spoken candidly in her final weeks, determined to challenge society’s silence around death.
“Some of the happiest days of my life have been in the last few weeks,” she said. “As a society, we shy away from dying. We reinforce the idea that it has to be terrifying and painful—but it doesn’t have to be.”
“Deep down, we all know we’re going to die. Cancer forced me to confront that. Since then, I’ve lived more fully than I ever have—and that has been a gift.”
Though the Dawsons wished for more time, they didn’t let the time they had slip away unspoken.
“Laura could’ve died on the operating table in March,” Ben reflected. “Knowing the end was coming gave us all the chance to say what mattered. When the funeral comes, I won’t have to stand there wishing I’d told her something—I already did. So did the kids.”
“She died knowing she was deeply loved. And that is a blessing.”
Throughout the journey, Ben and Laura were honest with their sons, 17-year-old Jacob and 15-year-old Theo. “We’ve spoken very openly all along,” Ben said. “We wanted them to trust what we were saying. That helped all of us.”
Ben also praised the care they received from both St Christopher’s and the NHS. “From the moment she was admitted to Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, the care was outstanding. We’re so thankful.”
Laura wasn’t content to simply fade away. She used her remaining time to build memories. She left letters and gifts for her sons—including matching watches so they could feel her presence on their future milestones.
“She bought me one when we got engaged,” Ben said. “Now the boys have one too. On days like their weddings, they’ll look at it and know she was thinking of them.”
Looking back on their 24 years together, Ben described meeting Laura as love at first sight. “She was my constant,” he said. “Generous to a fault. The kind of person who’d become your friend within a minute of meeting you. Just a truly kind soul.”
Even in her final months, Laura found joy in life’s smallest offerings.
“She didn’t see the glass as half-full or half-empty,” Ben said. “She was just glad to have a glass. And she wanted to share that with others.”