An influential woman who was "always standing up for what she believed in" died two days before her birthday.
Laura Donovan-Hall, 34, died from brain cancer on October 30 at Woodlands Hospice in Fazakerley with her family by her bedside. Laura first fell ill in August after she suddenly suffered from a seizure at her home in Bootle and was rushed to A&E.
Laura's husband David Hall, 36, told the ECHO: "It was very sudden and very unexpected. They found a growth in her brain and the consultant took a look at it and said it doesn't look too bad, 'it looks like we can do something about this.' So she went in for brain surgery."
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Doctors were unable to remove the entire tumour during surgery and Laura was told to await the results of a biopsy. The 34-year-old's condition deteriorated rapidly during this time, and she was soon admitted to Aintree University Hospital.
It was here that David was told the devastating news that Laura's cancer was far more aggressive than doctors initially suspected, and she was diagnosed with a stage four brain tumour called Glioblastoma.
David said: "The next day I was told she had a matter of hours to live and she wasn't going to make it through the night. She lived another two weeks after that.
"She was able to be moved to a hospice and we spent some really precious and sacred time together. The staff at the hospice were absolutely outstanding really and the staff at the Walton Centre again were absolutely outstanding. The care she received was second to none."
Laura, who worked as a social researcher, was well-known across the city as a charity advocate and for standing up for different causes as a social campaigner. The 34-year-old was a former board member of Women's Health Information & Support Centre (WHISC) and Future Boss Club.
She also campaigned tirelessly against period poverty and was part of the families who successfully fought against the closure of Brushwood and Millvina care homes in Speke and Everton during the pandemic, where her nan Freda Johnson was a resident.
Paying tribute, David described Laura as a "beautiful person inside and out" who was "was always on the right side of history."
David said: "I would say she was pretty much the best human - she was certainly my favourite human. She was an ally to so many people. She was always on the right side of history and she was always standing up for what she believed in.
"Laura had a wide circle of friends in the city and beyond; everybody wanted to be her friend. She was habitually kind to herself and loved so very deeply, and was definitely the smartest, kindest, and funniest person I have ever met.
"She was always such a beautiful person inside and out and she was always such a good listener. She was always very much into social change and how she could positively affect the world."
Laura's funeral will be held at Anfield Crematorium at 2pm this Wednesday, November 16, where the family will wear bright colours in her memory. The family has asked for donations to be made to The Brain Charity, Woodlands Hospice or The Alzheimer's Society in lieu of flowers.
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