A mum-of-four has died of cancer after thinking her persistent cough was due to long Covid.
Alison Todd, 47, was first diagnosed with terminal lung cancer last year.
In June 2021, Alison's world "fell apart" when she was told she had just two years to live after noticing a cough develop over the previous Christmas.
She was a highly-respected local councillor in Surrey and was a key figure in the local community.
When devastating floods hit the area eight years ago, she helped local residents during the clean-up operation, SurreyLive reports.
Alison is survived by her husband, four children and five grandchildren.
Speaking about her diagnosis in 2021, Alison said: "It's devastating. It's something you just can't get your head around - I could have dealt with 'you have cancer' but 'Stage 4, end of life' knocked me for six. You just never think it's going to be you."
She had been smoking since she was 12 and had tried to quit on numerous occasions, including times when she ran stop-smoking campaigns as councillor.
"It was a habit I couldn't break. But the day I got the diagnosis, I gave up very easily," she said.
In April last year, and not long before the local elections, doctors found a 5.5cm tumour in her right lung.
Then further checks revealed she had 10 tumours in one lung and more than 10 in her other.
"There is no feeling like it, to find out you're going to die. It's the hardest thing you can ever go through. It was such a shock. My whole world just fell apart," she said.
Spelthorne Borough Council announced today that Alison had died, and both they and Surrey County Council have lowered their flags to half-mast out of a mark of respect.
In a heartfelt joint statement, both councils said: "It is with great sadness that Surrey County Council and Spelthorne Borough Council announce the death of Cllr Alison Todd (formerly Griffiths), after battling cancer.
"Alison, 47, was a dedicated County and Borough Councillor for several years. She was a staunch advocate for the residents of Sunbury and Ashford Common and her death will come as a bitter blow to her community."
Surrey County Council leader, Tim Oliver, added: "Alison was a public servant in the truest sense. She was committed to her local community and making people's lives better. She wore her heart on her sleeve, and was never shy in speaking up and demonstrating her real passion for what she believed in. We are devastated to lose her, and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her."
Alison joined Surrey County Council in 2017 and served as deputy cabinet member for health between May 2019 and May 2021.
She was previously deputy cabinet member for all-age learning from May 2018 to April 2019 and was also a Spelthorne Borough Councillor in the Sunbury Common ward between 2015 and 2019.
She was also the brainchild behind Sunbury Flood Volunteers, a flood clean-up help group that cleaned up properties and shopped for the vulnerable after Surrey was hit by devastating floods.
Cllr John Boughtflower, leader of Spelthorne Borough Council, said: "Alison was a loyal friend of Spelthorne Borough Council and served on the Spelthorne Joint Committee. She always wanted to make things better for our residents and continued to work as a dedicated county councillor for her residents until her untimely death.
"She will be very sadly missed, and my thoughts are with her friends and family at this devastating time."
