The husband of a 33-year-old mother-of-three today paid tribute to his wife after she lost her eight year battle with cancer.

Alison Lettington, who overcame numerous operations on her lungs and three operations to remove brain tumours, as well as giving birth when the situation was at its worst, died at St Helena Hospice on December 23.

Alison, a former lecturer in psychology at Colchester Institute, had spent the last eight years struggling to overcome the rare, debilitating form of the disease known as adenoid-cystic carcinoma.

She was mum to Hannah, eight, Bethany, five, and Samuel, two.

Nick said: "Alison was remarkable in that she seemed to be almost indestructible, her amazing strength pulled her through even her worst moments.

"She was a wonderful witness to God's love and was always seeking to help others even when she was herself so frail, at times even counselling the nurses who provided her post-operative care."

Mr Lettington and his wife, of Prettygate, who were both former pupils of Philip Morant School, were committed members of the United Reformed Church in Plume Avenue.

"Alison was very keen to talk about her illness, to let others know the impact of cancer on a young family, but also to let other people in the same position know that they were not alone in their suffering.

"She wanted to prepare her friends and family for the worst yet never gave up hope in finding a cure or in the healing power of God."

Alison's funeral service takes place at the Plume Avenue church on Tuesday, January 7, at noon, followed by a private family cremation

Published Thursday, January 2, 2003

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