Footy WAG Bec Judd has paid tribute to a close friend who has died of cancer.
Mother-of-one Nicole Cooper was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in March 2017, shortly after the birth of her son Joshua, and died in Melbourne on Tuesday. she was 38
Bec, who is on vacation with her family in Whistler, Canada, said Wednesday she was “so privileged” to have shared “so many great times” with her friend.
Footy WAG Bec Judd (right) paid tribute to a close friend who has died of cancer. Single mother Nicole Cooper (centre left) was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer shortly after the birth of her son Joshua in March 2017 and died in Melbourne on Tuesday. she was 38
Bec commented on Nicole’s last Instagram post, which she wrote hours before her death: “Oh Nic. The bravest, most inspirational person I know. I stand behind you and will forever love your family as much as you do.”
She then took to her own Instagram page to share photos of the couple together.
“Heaven has a queen. Rest in peace my love. I’m so proud to be your friend and so privileged to have shared so many great times with you,” she wrote.
“I will open my arms and give Josh a hug just like you would for days to come. RIP @nicolecoopy.’
She spoke openly about her battle with cancer and inspired thousands of people suffering from the disease
Bec also shared a video of the snowy mountains of Whistler, where she is on a ski trip with her husband Chris Judd and their four children.
“Waking up to this view and thinking of my beautiful friend Nicole Cooper who was dying to be on this trip to Whistler, she used to check out this very outlet everyday,” she wrote.
“RIP, Nick. I love you forever.’
Bec, 39, who is vacationing with her family in Whistler, Canada, said Wednesday she was “so privileged to have shared so many great times” with her friend
In the hours leading up to her death, Nicole wrote a heartbreaking final message that was later posted to her Instagram by her family.
Alongside a picture from her hospital bed with her son Josh and husband Tim, she wrote, “When it comes to wrapping up, cancer is not what I want to sign.”
She added that the “important things” are “what we’ve built together.”
“The shared respect, joy, compelling and insightful commitment, and unwavering authenticity to life’s true foundations,” she added.
In the hours leading up to her death, Nicole wrote a heartbreaking final message that was later posted to her Instagram by her family. The post included this photo from her hospital bed of Nicole with her husband and son
“It’s the fragility of this whole, the incomparable wholeness, the willingness to take any risk for this group to truly declare that living in my most frightened and most vulnerable and weakest and most wonderful was all worth it.
“Because I have to do it with all of you. That’s the purpose of things. I conclude from that.
“And I know you’re all just starting to stand up for us, every day, forever,” she said.
COLON CANCER: WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS?
Colorectal or colon cancer affects the colon, which consists of the large intestine and rectum.
Such tumors usually develop from precancerous growths called polyps.
Symptoms include:
- bleeding from below
- blood in the stool
- A change in bowel habits lasting at least three weeks
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme, unexplained fatigue
- stomach pain
Most cases have no clear cause, but people are at higher risk if they:
- Are over 50
- Have a family history of the condition
- Do you have a personal history of polyps in your gut
- Do you suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease?
- Lead an unhealthy lifestyle
Treatment usually includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
More than nine out of ten people with stage 1 colon cancer survive five years or more after their diagnosis.
Unfortunately, only about a third of all colorectal cancers are diagnosed at this early stage.
The majority of people come to the doctor when the disease has spread beyond the wall of the colon or rectum, or to distant parts of the body, reducing the chance of a successful cure for colon cancer.
According to figures from Bowel Cancer UK, more than 41,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK each year.
According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 40 out of every 100,000 adults in the United States are affected each year.
The Melbourne-based mum had publicly documented her cancer journey on Instagram and had her own podcast, The Impatient Podcast.
She dedicated much of her blog to raising awareness of the disease.
“I am a young, healthy, active woman. I love kale. i love the gym Don’t assume you’re not in the risk zone,” she wrote on her blog in 2017.
“Anyone can get colon cancer. You are never too young, old, fit, healthy or invincible.”
She added that she “didn’t think much about her symptoms” due to her work schedule and the fatigue of taking care of her son.
Her last post was emotionally charged and filled with love for her family, who are pictured here in their final days
“I had lost weight quickly – but at the time I was breastfeeding and I was told by a lot of people that I looked fabulous and that I was so lucky,” she explained.
“I was also particularly tired – understandably as a new mom.”
On Jan. 4, she posted a photo of her “oxygen friend” — a tank — reflecting on a week of ICU craziness and terrifying moments.
Bec said heaven “won a queen” as she shared snaps of the friends together
“But one of the benefits of a week of total disorientation is the opportunity to then mindfully take a step in each direction and essentially move to some version of forward,” she said.
This determination to get better led her followers to praise her for her resilience and optimism.
But alas, things were to get worse and six days later she wrote her final post and spent time with her family, who crowded into her room to say goodbye.
Her death left her community devastated.
Bec shared pictures of the group of friends in happier times