Forever in My Heart: The Story of My Battle Against Cancer

Forever in My Heart: The Story of My Battle Against Cancer
Jade Goody

Jade's heart-breaking diary of her fight against terminal cancer and her final precious months with her beloved family.In August 2007 Jade Goody received the shattering news that she had cervical cancer. She was only 27 years old. But with her usual strength of character, Jade was determined to beat the disease and carry on with life as normal with her two little boys Bobby and Freddy.Neither the chemotherapy, which left her weak and bald, or the hysterectomy that crushed her dreams of having a little girl, could break Jade's sunny personality or her fierce refusal to be a victim. But in February 2009, Jade received the tragic news that any mother dreads to hear: she was going to be torn from her beloved sons. The cancer had spread and was untreatable.Forever In My Heart is Jade's final 'love letter' to her two little boys. Covering her initial diagnosis while appearing on Celebrity Big Brother in India, their emotional last Christmas as a family, her magical wedding to her partner Jack Tweed and her dying wish to see be christened with her boys, Jade's heart-breaking diary of her final months is set against a backdrop of flashbacks to her difficult early years, her rise to fame in the Big Brother house and those moments of joy and laughter as the nation's darling.It is the powerful story of a young mother's brave fight against a terminal disease, her unique humour, her determination to provide for her sons and her fierce desire to leave a legacy which might prevent other young women being torn from their families in the prime of life.A percentage of profits from the book will be donated to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

THE STORY OF MY BATTLE AGAINST CANCER

Jade

forever in my heart

JADE GOODY

Contents

Foreword by Jackiey Budden (#u0ea5bb47-9a94-548c-93a9-98589796745e)

Chapter 1 - The Horrible News (#ubdec754e-5c84-5b82-bc2e-c60776149b90)

Chapter 2 - Lots of Tests (#u12a46b61-0154-597d-a724-5cba83a24a4d)

Chapter 3 - Getting Away From It All (#u71ed3292-a451-5b4d-bce0-a95515c63bc0)

Chapter 4 - Losing Jack (#udcd89e10-d1eb-55f9-ae42-8ea87e93998f)

Chapter 5 - The Operation (#u94a93e23-fc23-5cc4-bb14-72e93e89f8ab)

Chapter 6 - Radio and Chemo (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 - ‘I’m Working On It’ (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 - How Low Can You Go? (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 - Finding the Fun (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 - Getting Ready for Christmas (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 - The Show Must Go On (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 - The Bald Truth (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 - Escape to the Sun (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 - My Jack Comes Home (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 - From Bad to Worse (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 - Time Is Running Out (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 - Planning the Wedding (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 - Home Sweet Home (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 - Here Comes the Bride! (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 20 - Making Plans (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 21 - Hanging in There (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 22 - The Last Journey (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue by Jackiey Budden (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)

My Daughter’s Last Days by Jackiey Budden (#litres_trial_promo)

Wish List (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Foreword By Jackiey Budden (#u1107cc9b-73c7-5b96-bcce-a49aa781cec3)

When my daughter Jade was born I had no idea what impact she would have on this world.

I split up with her father when she was about one and it’s just been me and her ever since. Until, that is, she arrived in the Big Brother house and the cameras joined her.

Jade has written in her autobiographies that I was not the best mother in the world. I took drugs for four years and let her down. Before that she helped care for me after a motorcycle accident that left me severely injured and without the use of my left arm.

Jade has always been there for me. When she was diagnosed with cancer it was my chance to be a good mum – and I think I proved to her I could do it.

As a child Jade loved performing. She was always making me sit on the settee to watch her sing a song or dance. Drama was the thing she did best at school. Then she got a job as a dental nurse and focused on having the stable life she longed for.

As her mother, I was last to know she’d entered the Big Brother auditions until she rang me screaming, ‘I’ve been kidnapped and am in Borehamwood somewhere!’ She’d been warned not to tell anyone and because of my big mouth I wasn’t told till the last minute.

Watching her on that TV screen made me so proud. Even when she stripped off for the poker game, I knew she was just trying to do the right thing. Jade was brought up to play games properly and follow the rules.

Afterwards, fame brought her more money than she’d ever imagined having. Suddenly she was able to live in a lovely house and have things she’d never dreamed of. And it didn’t change her one bit. She never saw herself as a celebrity. All her friends stayed the same and she lived a normal life. Her agent at the time said this wasn’t possible, but Jade proved it was.

I became a celebrity mum too and the drug days were soon behind me.

We’ve always had our ups and downs but this illness brought us closer than ever. Jade and I are one of the same picture. We’ve been best friends, flatmates, fighters, but always there for each other.

Of all her achievements, Bobby and Freddy are the ones that Jade is most proud of. They became her world and the money from her fame let her give them the life she never had.

Watching my daughter grow so ill with cancer has been a living nightmare. God has thrown some challenges at Jade and this one she tried so hard to fight for her boys.

These diaries show just how hard she fought. Despite the pain and the horrible treatments, her wicked sense of humour shines through on every page.