The passing of Wendy Clarke, a woman from Teesside who campaigned for cervical cancer awareness, has been confirmed. Clarke, who was praised by Kylie Minogue for her work in raising awareness of the disease, died in Teesside Hospice at the age of 46. She had been living with a terminal cancer diagnosis since January of this year. Clarke was known for urging women not to miss their smear tests because of fear or embarrassment about the procedure.
In September, she won the BBC Radio Tees Make A Difference Bravery Award for her work in raising awareness of the disease. Clarke’s parents thanked the hospice staff for the excellent care they provided the woman in her last weeks of life. The couple said that Wendy would be pleased to know that her message about cervical cancer awareness would continue to be heard. The message will be repeated in a Christmas special on BBC local radio.
The campaigner worked hard to raise awareness of the disease and had hoped that her story would help save a life. According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 3,200 new cases of cervical cancer each year in the UK, and most of these cases would be preventable if women regularly attended their smear tests. The UK government has pledged to eradicate cervical cancer by 2040. Clarke will also feature in a special event on 29 December.
Kylie Minogue praised Clarke’s bravery for her work in raising awareness of cervical cancer. The pop star has also survived a cancer diagnosis, having been treated for breast cancer in 2005. Minogue told Clarke that she was proud of the work she had accomplished and thanked her for being a source of inspiration for others. The Christmas special in which the two women spoke is set to be broadcasted on Boxing Day
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