UNA Crudden was a courageous advocate for ovarian cancer sufferers and there will be widespread sorrow over her death yesterday at the age of 60.
The west Belfast grandmother, who was herself first diagnosed five years ago, was determined to raise awareness of the symptoms of the condition and to point out that women who obtain treatment at an early stage improve their prospects of survival by up to 400 per cent.
She set out to convince politicians of the need to ensure that the necessary drugs are made just as widely available in Northern Ireland as they are in Britain, and, while others will have to finish her work, she had already won many of the key arguments.
Ms Crudden's personal campaign may have ended prematurely but her efforts will always be an inspiration to every individual and family who have been touched by ovarian cancer.