An ovarian cancer advocate who defied the odds by living above her survival prognosis has tragically lost her courageous fight against the disease.
Melbourne mother Leane Flynn, 55, died on Tuesday surrounded by her husband Justin and their three daughters.
A paragon of health, she had just returned home from a 10km run one morning in 2017 when she was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer.
She was given five years to live after two soda can-sized tumors were found on her ovaries and another banana-sized on her liver.
For the next six years, she spoke about her struggle to spread awareness and became an ambassador for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
Ms Flynn is survived by her husband and daughters Amelia, 26, Laura, 24, and Anabel, 19, who confirmed the devastating news on Wednesday night.
Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation Ambassador Leane Flynn (pictured with her daughters) passed away this week after a six-year battle with cancer
Leane was surrounded by her husband Justin and their three daughters
“It is with a heavy heart that we must share our beautiful Leane who passed away yesterday surrounded by Justin and the girls,” the heartbreaking message read.
“There are no words to express the loss and emotions we feel.
“She fought an incredibly tough battle to the very end and she did it the whole way with sheer resilience and positivity.
Even during her toughest times, she always kept sharing her story and raising awareness for ovarian cancer.
The family pledged to keep Ms Flynn’s Instagram running to continue spreading awareness “so no one else has to go through what she went through.”
“We want to thank everyone for the years of love and support. Your positive messages and comments always brightened her day and we are very grateful for that,” the family writes.
“We will miss our Leane every day and she is with us everywhere.”
Just six days ago, Ms. Flynn shared photos surrounded by her best and oldest friends while giving an update.
“I maximize every moment. I still haven’t received any confirmation on the clinical trial, so my future is really up in the air. One day at a time,” she wrote.
Leanne was told in April 2017 that she had a maximum of five years to live
Leane paid tribute to her husband Justin on his birthday ten days ago and hinted it might be the last she’d be around
She hinted at what lies ahead in another recent post dedicated to her husband on his birthday.
“The past few days have been extremely emotional and stressful, but I’m still trying to focus on our quality time together – even though I keep coming back to the thought that it might just be our last shared anniversary,” Ms Fynn wrote.
News of Mrs. Flynn’s death sparked an outpouring of tributes.
‘I’m very sorry. Leane was incredible. She will always be remembered and forever remain in so many of our hearts,” wrote former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Rogers.
Former Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins added: You have inspired us all, your kindness and your dedication…. I send so much love.’
Ms Flynn, then 49, thought she was in menopause when she started feeling mildly bloated in November 2016.
Three months later, she began having to urinate frequently and went to see her GP before receiving the devastating, heartbreaking diagnosis.
She underwent six months of chemotherapy, but the cancer returned in October 2018.
She underwent nine different chemotherapy treatments during her battle with cancer.
She was a picture of health and had just come home from 10k that morning when she was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer
In January 2022, Ms Flynn began planning her funeral after being told she had a week to live.
“The cancer had wrapped itself around my bowel. I had three intestinal perforations. I was septic,” she said 7news.com.au earlier this year.
“They had no control over it. Last March they sent me home to die in peace.’
Then she started to get better.
“I could barely walk, and one day I walked around the block,” Mrs. Flynn recalls
“And the next day (went) I moved on and slowly but surely things started to get better.”
The chemotherapy eventually stopped working and she was faced with finding a trial or buying drugs from abroad to extend her life.
Approximately 1,720 Australian women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year.
Just over 50 percent of patients live longer than five years after diagnosis.
“It’s hard to express how much Leane meant to all of us,” OCRF wrote.
Her radiant presence lifted the mood in every room she entered. Leane’s personal warmth, storytelling skills and drive made her a force of nature in the fight against ovarian cancer. She left a lasting impression on everyone she met.
Leae Flynn spoke candidly about her cancer ordeal to raise public awareness