At 2pm in the afternoon, Leanne Williamson spoke to her twin sister, Jemma, on the phone. The sisters were incredibly close, speaking almost every day, catching up over coffee, and going for runs together. But overnight, that special bond was broken, when Jemma died suddenly, aged just 33.
It was only after the mum-of-one’s death that it was discovered that Jemma had been living with an aggressive, undiagnosed brain tumour. ‘Losing that connection overnight was devastating,’ says sister, Leanne. ‘Jemma was bubbly, funny and always making people laugh with her quirky comments. She genuinely once argued that ducks had four legs and that cheese was a fruit.’
‘She was incredibly caring and compassionate and absolutely loved being a nurse and helping people.’ In the lead up to her death, Jemma, who was mum to then five-year-old Rosealeen, complained of back pain, headaches and sudden weight gain. ‘I think she was 10.5st and went up to 14st,’ says Leanne, 40, from Bathgate, Scotland. ‘It was out of character for her because after having Rosealeen she had been so active and had even trained for a half marathon. Jemma was worried and so were all of us. I even went to the doctors with her to try and push for answers, but it felt like we were hitting a brick wall.’
Then, in February 2019, Jemma’s boyfriend went to her house one evening, but there was no answer at the door. ‘He collected spare keys from my dad and when they entered the house, they found Jemma collapsed on the floor,’ says Leanne. ‘I still remember getting the call that night. I had spoken to Jemma at 2pm that afternoon and by 8pm I found out she was gone. The shock and confusion were unbearable because at that point we had absolutely no idea what had happened.’
‘My husband Andy was my rock through everything and helped me through some incredibly dark moments,’ said Leanne. It was the post-mortem that finally gave the family answers. Jemma had a tumour wrapped around her spinal cord, which caused a fatal seizure. ‘It took me five years to truly accept that Jemma was never coming back,’ says Leanne. ‘We will never get over losing her, but we’ve learned how to live with the grief together as a family.’
Following the heart-breaking loss of her twin, Leanne shares how running became her outlet. ‘As our 40th birthdays approached in 2025, I wanted to do something meaningful for Jemma. I decided to take on the Edinburgh Marathon for Brain Tumour Research because I knew it was a charity she would have supported herself. I trained for five months and was terrified on race day that I would let Jemma down. But crossing that finish line was emotional because I truly felt she was with me every step of the way.’
Brain Tumour Research Ashley McWilliams, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: ‘Stories like Jemma’s demonstrate how devastating brain tumours can be and why greater investment in research is urgently needed for patients facing this disease. We urge the public to support our cause through fundraising, campaigning and helping raise awareness of this devastating disease. We also encourage people to speak to their local MPs and public officials about the urgent need to increase national investment into research into brain tumours so that more effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure, can be found for patients and families facing these tumours.’
You find out more and donate here
Leanne also completed the Edinburgh Marathon this year. ‘I run for Jemma every single time. In her honour and in her name,’ says Leanne. ‘If raising awareness and funding research can help even one family avoid the pain we went through, then it’s worth everything. I hope that one day there will be quicker diagnoses, better treatments and more lives saved.’
Leanne now wears a blue butterfly pin during every run which reads: ‘Always with me – Jemma.’ Leanne’s fundraising helps to support pioneering research projects such as those taking place at the University of Plymouth Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence, which has a strong focus on meningioma research.
‘We still speak about Jemma all the time and Rosealeen has grown into a little mini-Jemma – sassy, witty and never stops talking,’ says Leanne. ‘I still ask myself if there was more we could have done and whether Jemma might still be here. I know I can’t think like that, but it’s still incredibly hard to accept sometimes.’
Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Sign up to ‘s The Slice newsletter for your guide to what’s on in London, with trusted reviews, offers and giveaways.
