BBC news presenter Rachael Bland, who was widely praised for the manner in which she fought breast cancer, has died aged 40.
Just two days ago the journalist, who had been at the BBC for more than 15 years, bade "au revoir" to her friends, revealing she only had days left to live. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and recorded the You Me and The Big C podcast, following her while she underwent treatment, and documented her cancer journey on her blog Big C Little Me.
Her family confirmed that she had died this morning shortly after 3am. Mrs Bland's husband Steve told the BBC: "Rachael's death has left a huge hole in our perfect little family that we'll never be able to fill.
"She was an incredibly talented broadcaster as well as a wonderful and much-loved daughter, sister, aunt, niece, wife and, most importantly to her, a mother to her precious little Freddie.
"We all take such huge comfort and pride from the amazing and tireless work she has done since her diagnosis to reduce the stigma around cancer and prove that it is possible to live life to the fullest even when facing huge challenges on a daily basis. At the end, even though her body was at its weakest, her voice was at its strongest and most powerful.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The #YouMeBigC team talk about the importance of their podcast and friendship
BBC presenter Rachael Bland has died at the age of 40, almost two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Her family confirmed she died peacefully at home in the early hours of this morning.
Bland was a familiar voice on Radio 5 Live as a newsreader and presenter, and won praise for co-hosting You, Me and the Big C, a podcast about cancer.
She has also documented her life with the disease on an award-winning blog.
Following the announcement, Rachael's husband Steve said in a statement: "She was an incredibly talented broadcaster as well as a wonderful and much loved daughter, sister, aunt, niece, wife and, most importantly to her, a mother to her precious little Freddie.
"We all take such huge comfort and pride from the amazing and tireless work she has done since her diagnosis to reduce the stigma around cancer and prove that it is possible to live life to the fullest even when facing huge challenges on a daily basis. At the end, even though her body was at its weakest, her voice was at its strongest and most powerful."
He describes her as "perfect in every way", adding "we will miss her more than words can say".
Skip Twitter post by @Rachael_Hodges Our beautiful, courageous Rachael died peacefully this morning surrounded by her close family. We are crushed but she would want me to thank everyone who took an interest in her story or sent messages of support. You’ll never know how much they meant to her. Steve and Freddie xxx pic.twitter.com/soq7YHvF9u — Rachael Bland (@Rachael_Hodges) September 5, 2018 Report
Bland's death comes two days after she revealed on Twitter doctors had given her only days left to live. She tweeted: "In the words of the legendary Frank S - I'm afraid the time has come my friends. And suddenly.
"I'm told I've only got days. It's very surreal. Thank you so much for all the support I've received."
In August, the Cardiff-born broadcaster said she was writing a memoir to leave for her two-year-old son Freddie as a "love letter to my beautiful boy", whose third birthday she missed by just days.
She began her BBC career more than 15 years ago as Rachael Hodges and married fellow BBC journalist Steve Bland in 2013.
As well as appearing on 5 Live, she worked as a news presenter on the BBC News Channel, BBC World and BBC North West Tonight.
She was diagnosed with primary triple-negative breast cancer in November 2016 after finding a lump under her arm.
Image copyright Instagram: bigclittleme Image caption Rachael with son Freddie
The presenter began chemotherapy just after Christmas that year, had a mastectomy the following July and went into an immunotherapy clinical trial this May, but the cancer had spread too far for her to stay on that treatment.
Throughout her illness, she earned admiration for her dignified and positive outlook, and for her efforts to give an honest portrayal of cancer on her podcast - with the tagline "Putting the CAN in cancer" - and her blog, titled Big C Little Me.
Rachael presented the podcast with fellow cancer sufferers Lauren Mahon and Deborah James. They spoke to celebrity guests and addressed practical matters including hair loss, tips for dealing with finances and telling your nearest and dearest.
The podcast reached number one on the iTunes chart on Tuesday - an ambition of Bland's, which her husband tweeted had made her "very happy".
"The whole sharing process has been very cathartic," Rachael wrote in an online article, published on Tuesday. "It's been a real support to know that people have found them so helpful through their treatment, but in a selfish way they've helped me just as much."
But the 40-year-old also frequently spoke about how her biggest fear was leaving Freddie without a mother.
Image caption Bland co-hosted You, Me and the Big C with Lauren Mahon and Deborah James
"I'm not scared of dying," she wrote in The Daily Telegraph in August. "I only fear for those I leave behind. For my darling Freddie... for Steve and our families."
She added: "Steve and I don't discuss how he'll cope without me, but we do talk about all the things I want him to do with Freddie when I'm gone.
"He's quite an emotional man, so I know he'll do a lot of crying. But he is also the most amazing father and will keep going and stay strong for our son's sake."
Bland said she was looking for a publisher for her memoir, which she described as "my love letter to my beautiful boy that I hope will leave the imprint of me and my love for him around him forever".
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Rachel was part of Richard’s team when he presented the 5 Live late night programme.
In her article published on The Huffington Post, Bland revealed that the book was almost finished. She also said she was wrapping presents for her son to open on every birthday until he's 21.
"Personal effects like my notepads - so he can see what my writing was like. Or the perfume he helped pick out for me earlier this year so he'll remember my smell."
Tributes to "courageous Rachael"
Steve Bland led tributes to the BBC presenter, posting news of her death from her Twitter account. He wrote: "We are crushed but she would want me to thank everyone who took an interest in her story or sent messages of support. You'll never know how much they meant to her."
Jonathan Wall, Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live, said: "Rachael was part of the fabric of 5 Live and today is a very sad day for all of us and so many of our listeners.
"She was a very talented broadcaster and a beautiful loyal colleague to so many. More than that, she turned the final year of her life into the finest year of her life delivering the most important broadcasting I have ever heard about living with cancer, and ultimately facing death because of cancer.
"She has made a profound difference to so many lives. We are all so proud at what she achieved - a truly heroic broadcaster and lovely wife, daughter and mum."
Among others to pay tribute were broadcaster Dan Walker, Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes and former-Busted member Charlie Simpson.
Skip Twitter post by @damekellyholmes I am only liking this as I want to respect what you have written. It feels strange to be pressing like on something so sad. 💔Rachael has done more for awareness then anyone and for that people are truly grateful. My heart and love goes out to all of your family 💜💕so sorry 😕 — Kelly Holmes (@damekellyholmes) September 5, 2018 Report
Skip Twitter post by @charliesimo Really sad to to hear that. I listened to one of Rachel’s #youmeandthebigc pod cast’s this week and was amazed at how charming, funny and gracious she was in the face of such tragic circumstances. Such a strong women. Rest In Peace. ♥️ — Charlie Simpson (@charliesimo) September 5, 2018 Report
Former chancellor George Osborne tweeted calling her death "very sad news", while deputy leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson said Rachael's family should "take great pride in the amazing courage she showed".
Skip Twitter post by @tom_watson Deepest condolences to Rachel Bland's family. They should take great pride in the amazing courage she showed - and inspiration she offered to others - in the face of cancer. — Tom Watson (@tom_watson) September 5, 2018 Report
BBC director general Tony Hall said: "Rachael was a popular and inspiring journalist. Everyone has been moved by her courage and dignity. She will be hugely missed by her many listeners and by staff across the BBC. Our sympathies go out to her family and many friends at this difficult time."
The BBC's director of news Fran Unsworth paid her condolences in an email to all BBC staff: "Rachael was a brilliant journalist and a much-loved colleague. The courageous way she shared her experiences with cancer have inspired and given strength to so many."
5 Live's Tony Livesey, pays tribute to his friend and colleague:
I met Rachael on my first 5 Live show in 2010 when she held my hand on-air as I learned the ropes.
We subsequently broadcast together many, many times and most recently she was my co-presenter on Drive every Friday.
She was never afraid to take the mickey, to subvert the norm and her default position was a cheeriness that has left many of us astounded as the chemo, cold cap, guinea pig pill tests and general hell that comes with cancer came and went.
The ONLY time she privately expressed any concern to me was about how her husband Steve and son Freddie would cope without her. Even then, she rolled up her sleeves, wrote a life guide for Freddie, and found a publisher.
'Tell Freddie everything,' I urged her. 'He'll want to know all about his fabulous mum.'
We here at 5 Live can certainly tell him some stories.
There was the time she stole my moment of history.
I was all set to become the first ever voice of 5 Live from our new home in Salford. The posters had been printed, the bigwigs were lined up through the glass. I'd prepped my first words: 'One small step etc...' Then, just as I drew breath, Rachael wandered into the studio, sat down and read the news.
Hers was the first voice to be heard.
She winked and walked out.
Read more of Tony Livesey's tribute to Rachel Bland here
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
Rachael Bland, host of cancer podcast You, Me and the Big C, dies at 40
Rachael Bland, the BBC presenter who documented her treatment for cancer in a chart-topping podcast, has died aged 40, prompting a flood of tributes from celebrities and politicians who said she had helped to change the conversation around illness.
The journalist, who worked on Radio 5 Live and North West Tonight, was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2016 and began blogging about being a patient, later drawing on her experiences to produce the BBC series You, Me and the Big C.
In a statement on Wednesday, her husband, Steve, described her as “perfect in every way”. He said: “She was an incredibly talented broadcaster as well as a wonderful and much loved daughter, sister, aunt, niece, wife and, most importantly to her, a mother to her precious little Freddie.
“We all take such huge comfort and pride from the amazing and tireless work she has done since her diagnosis to reduce the stigma around cancer and prove that it is possible to live life to the fullest even when facing huge challenges on a daily basis. At the end, even though her body was at its weakest, her voice was at its strongest and most powerful. We will miss her more than words can say.”
Rachael Bland (@Rachael_Hodges) Our beautiful, courageous Rachael died peacefully this morning surrounded by her close family. We are crushed but she would want me to thank everyone who took an interest in her story or sent messages of support. You’ll never know how much they meant to her. Steve and Freddie xxx pic.twitter.com/soq7YHvF9u
Radio 5 Live host Emma Barnett said Bland had kept smiling “regardless of what life kept on throwing at her”, while fellow radio presenter Tony Livesey said the station had “lost one of its brightest spirits”.
The athlete Dame Kelly Holmes said: “Rachael has done more for awareness than anyone and for that people are truly grateful.”
Bland’s podcast, co-presented with Deborah James and Lauren Mahon, dealt with various issues surrounding cancer; its frank, chatty, style proved to be a hit, and medical experts and celebrity guests appeared on the programme.
“We wanted to create a space where you feel like you’re sitting down with girls like you, having a cup of tea, talking about it like it’s EastEnders,” Bland told the Observer this year. “Because when you have a conversation about it, you normalise it.”
She continued to present the news on 5 Live during the initial stages of her treatment and said she found that working in a newsroom was relatively relaxing – and she much preferred “being ‘Rachael the news presenter’ than ‘Rachael the cancer patient’”.
When her cancer became terminal in early 2018 her hopes were pinned on an experimental treatment as part of a medical trial. However, she later learned that the cancer had spread further and she would have one last summer with her three-year-old son, Freddie.
Her podcast continued to attract fans and it topped the iTunes chart this week after Bland described the “very surreal” experience of learning that she had only days left to live.
In an article for HuffPost UK shortly before her death, Bland wrote: “When you are in my position – knowingly approaching the end of your life at just 40 years old, with a husband you adore with all your heart and a three-year-old son you love so much that if you looked at him too long your heart could burst – you need two major things to get you through. Hope. And denial.”
She said she had spent much of her final months writing a memoir for her son. “It’s a collection of all those stories your parents tell you over the years from their point of view, mixed in with all the advice they give you. I’d only known Steve for such a short period of time before we married – I feel there’s so much he needs to know from my point of view and in my voice. And I think I best get my personality down on paper.”
She said she had struggled to “release all my feelings about leaving my precious, beautiful Freddie behind”.
She wrote: “The main thing is that while he’s so young I want him to remember me in some way. I hope the book and these gifts and notes will leave an imprint of my love behind for the rest of his life. So he can be sure how very much I love him.”
Bland previously said her podcast co-hosts would continue the show in her absence.
BBC Radio 5 Live’s Twitter account described her as a treasured colleague who had inspired so many.
BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) Mother to Freddie.
Wife to Steve.
Our treasured colleague Rachael Bland has died.
She inspired so many with her blogs, the chart-topping podcast #YouMeBigC and certainly put the can in cancer.
We will miss her dearly. pic.twitter.com/b0UKRwDDCY
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said: “Her legacy is a testament to how much more we need to do to beat this dreadful disease.”
Bland’s family said that she would want to thank all those who had sent her messages of support. “You’ll never know how much they meant to her,” they said in a tweet.
BBC radio presenter Rachael Bland has died after suffering from breast cancer, aged 40.
A statement posted on her twitter account said: “Our beautiful, courageous Rachael died peacefully this morning surrounded by her close family.
“We are crushed but she would want me to thank everyone who took an interest in her story or sent messages of support. You’ll never know how much they meant to her. Steve and Freddie xxx.”
Bland was married to her husband, Steve, for almost five years and recently said she was rushing to complete a memoir for her two-year-old son, Freddie.
She was initially diagnosed with primary triple negative breast cancer in November 2016 and has been documenting the process of dealing with the disease on the podcast You, Me and the Big C, which has the tagline “putting the can in cancer”.
The Radio 5 Live broadcaster was told her cancer was incurable in May this year and revealed on the 3 August she had been ruled out of clinical trials due to medical complications.
Paying tribute to Bland, husband Steve called her an “an incredibly talented broadcaster” as well as a “wonderful and much loved daughter, sister, aunt, niece, wife and, most importantly to her, a mother to her precious little Freddie”.
He continued: “We all take such huge comfort and pride from the amazing and tireless work she has done since her diagnosis to reduce the stigma around cancer and prove that it is possible to live life to the fullest even when facing huge challenges on a daily basis. At the end, even though her body was at its weakest, her voice was at its strongest and most powerful.”
Controller of Radio 5 Live, Jonathan Wall, also issued a statement following Bland’s death: “Today is a very sad day for all of us and so many of our listeners. She was a very talented broadcaster and a beautiful loyal colleague to so many. We are all so proud at what she achieved – a truly heroic broadcaster and lovely wife, daughter and mum.”
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Nearly one million people are expected by the organizers over Sunday and Monday in the streets of west London to celebrate Caribbean culture, which is considered the largest street demonstration in Europe AFP/Getty 11/50 26 August 2018 The crowd pauses for 72 seconds silence in remembrance of all those lost in the Grenfell Tower fire at the Red Bull Music Academy Sound System at Notting Hill Getty 12/50 25 August 2018 Comedian Rose Matafeo is congratulated by Steve Coogan after winning the Edinburgh Comedy Award at the Dovecote Studio PA 13/50 24 August 2018 British Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox, attends a signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding between British and Chinese firms and institutions at the British ambassador's residence in Beijing AP 14/50 23 August 2018 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugs her daughter Gabriella, in Iran. She has been allowed to leave an Iranian prison for three days. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested during a holiday with her toddler daughter in April 2016. Iranian authorities accuse her of plotting against the government. Her family denies this, saying says she was in Iran to visit family Free Nazanin Campaign/AP 15/50 22 August 2018 Anti Brexit activists protest as they deliver a pile of medical supplies in cardboard boxes to the Department of Health and Social Care in London. Our Future, Our Choice (OFOC) Pro EU campaign group wants get its message to the public surrounding the predicted costs of Britain's "No Deal Hard Brexit", exit from the European Union AP 16/50 21 August 2018 Families enjoy rides on the dodgems during an Eid in the Park celebration marking Eid Al-Adha at the New River Sports ground in Wood Green, London. The traditional four-day celebratory festival marks one of the holiest days in the Islamic religious calendar Getty 17/50 20 August 2018 Jeremy Corbyn campaigns on Labour's 'Build it in Britain' policy at Alexander Dennis bus manufacturers in Falkirk,Scotland. The Labour leader will spend the next four days in Scotland in an attempt to revitalize the party there Getty 18/50 19 August 2018 Manchester United women's side walk out alongside Liverpool ahead of their first professional game since 2005. United disbanded their senior women's team thirteen years ago and returned with a win, beating Liverpool in their Continental Tyres Cup match clash at Prenton Park PA 19/50 18 August 2018 Great Britain's Reece Prescod, finishes second, to USA's Christian Coleman, centre, in a photo finish after they both ran 9.94. With USA's Noah Lyles, left, finishing third in the men's 100m final during the Muller Grand Prix at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham PA 20/50 17 August 2018 Paul Elliott, right, carries the coffin of his brother Barry, 73, at the New York Stadium, Rotherham, for his funeral following his death on Sunday August 5. The veteran entertainer was one half of comedy duo the Chuckle Brothers with Paul PA 21/50 16 August 2018 Students react as they receive their 'A' level results at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London. Universities accepted thousands fewer students as pass rates hit lowest level since 2010 Reuters 22/50 15 August 2018 People gather on Market Street, Omagh, for the ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the Omagh bombing on 15 August 1998. The worst single atrocity of the Northern Ireland conflict killed 29, including a woman pregnant with twins PA 23/50 14 August 2018 Police arrest a man after he crashed a car into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament Sky News 24/50 13 August 2018 Communities Secretary James Brokenshire today launched a £100 million pound government fund to end rough sleeping in England within the next decade. Brokenshire is pictured here at the central London headquarters for homelessness charity the Passage, where he launched the scheme PA 25/50 12 August 2018 Police officers stand guard at the scene of a shooting at Claremont Road in the Moss Side neighborhood of Manchester, Ten people were taken to hospital on August 12, 2018 after shots were fired in Manchester in northern England, police said. AFP/Getty 26/50 11 August 2018 Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith reacts after she won gold in the women's 200m final at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin, completing the sprint double after she won the 100m just days before Getty/European Athletics 27/50 10 August 2018 Pedestrians walk past the entrance of the retail store House of Fraser in central London. The Chinese-owned UK department store chain, entered administration on August 10 only to be swiftly snapped up by retailer Sports Direct for £90 million ($115 million, 100 million euros) AFP/Getty 28/50 9 August 2018 Local people protest outside the Hillingdon Conservative Association office on August 9, 2018 in Uxbridge, England. Today's protest is being held following comments made by former Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, against the wearing of Burkas by Muslim women in the United Kingdom. An independent panel will investigate complaints made regarding Mr Johnson's comments and possible breaches of the Conservative Party code of conduct. Getty 29/50 8 August 2018 Britain's Prince William, right, and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, walk past a German flag, left, and a Britain's flag as they leave the Amiens cathedral, northern France. Prince William and Theresa May are marking the somber centenary of the Battle of Amiens, in France, a short, bloody and decisive battle that heralded the end of World War I AP 30/50 7 August 2018 Great Britain's Jack Laugher and James Heatly pose with their Gold and Bronze medal's respectively won in the 1 metre springboard men's final at the European Diving Championships in Glasgow EPA 31/50 6 August 2018 England cricketer Ben Stokes arrives at Bristol Crown Court accused of affray. The 27-year-old all-rounder and two other men, Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale are jointly charged with affray in the Clifton Triangle area of Bristol on September 25 last year, several hours after England had played a one-day international against the West Indies in the city PA 32/50 5 August 2018 Great Britain's Laura Kenny celebrates after winning the Women's Elimination Race final at the European Championships in Glasgow 33/50 4 August 2018 Ben Stokes celebrates taking the wicket of India's Hardik Pandya with team mates during the first test at Edgbaston Action Images via Reuters 34/50 3 August 2018 French President Emmanuel Macron waves to people as he arrives at the Fort de Bregancon for a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May epa 35/50 2 August 2018 Brexit Minister Dominic Raab is welcomed by French Minister attached to the Foreign Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau prior to a meeting in Paris AFP/Getty 36/50 1 August 2018 Demonstrators against Tommy Robinson outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where the former English Defence League leader has been freed on bail by the Court of Appeal after winning a challenge against a finding of contempt of court PA 37/50 31 July 2018 Friends of Lucy McHugh gather in Mansel Park, Southampton to release balloons in her memory. Lucy disappeared from her Southampton home last Wednesday and her body was later found in woodland near Southampton Sports Centre at 7.45am on Thursday PA 38/50 30 July 2018 Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt followed in the footsteps of his gaffe-prone predecessor Boris Johnson as he mistakenly referred to his Chinese wife as Japanese whilst on his first diplomatic mission to China AP 39/50 29 July 2018 Britain's Geraint Thomas, left, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey and Britain's Luke Rowe hold the flag of Wales during the 21st and last stage of the 105th edition of the Tour de France cycling race between Houilles and Paris Champs-Elysees. Thomas is the first Welshman to win the Tour de France AP 40/50 28 July 2018 Passengers wait and queue following flight disruption at London Stansted Airport. The British National Air Traffic Services (Nats) placed temporary restrictions during the adverse weather on 27 July leading to flight cancellations and delays across Britain EPA 41/50 27 July 2018 The scene on the A96 between Huntly and Keith in Moray where a five people have died and five more were injured after a crash between a minibus and a car. PA 42/50 26 July 2018 Anti-Brexit campaigners parked a removal van outside the Foreign Secretary's official home in central London in protest of former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's continued residence there PA 43/50 25 July 2018 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn during his visit to HS2 trains bidder Bombardier in Derby, following the launch of the party's new Build it in Britain campaign PA 44/50 24 July 2018 Great Britain's Geraint Thomas cleans his eyes after tear gas was thrown at the pelaton during a farmers' protest who attempted to block the stage's route, during the 16th stage of the Tour de France, between Carcassonne and Bagneres-de-Luchon. The race was halted for several minutes. AFP/Getty Images 45/50 23 July 2018 Crime scene investigators at the scene near the Hilton Hotel, Deansgate, Manchester where a woman with serious injuries to her neck was found in the morning. Six people have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the woman was attacked inside the hotel PA 46/50 22 July 2018 Italy's Francesco Molinari kisses the trophy after winning the 147th Open golf Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland AFP/Getty 47/50 21 July 2018 Great Britain's Tom Bosworth poses after winning the men's 3000m race walk with a new World Record time at the IAAF Diamond League athletics anniversary games meeting in London EPA 48/50 20 July 2018 British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a keynote speech at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. The Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to Northern Ireland. During her visit, focusing on Brexit and the deadlock at Stormont, she will visit the Irish border and discuss the potential impact of Brexit with Northern Irish businesses Getty 49/50 19 July 2018 Britain's newly appointed chief Brexit negotiator Dominic Raab, left, and EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speak to the media ahead of a meeting at the European Commission in Brussels. Britain's chief Brexit negotiator David Davis resigned less than two weeks ago and his successor Raab met his EU counterpart Michel Barnier for the first time late Thursday. AP 50/50 18 July 2018 An emotional Sir Cliff Richard with his legal team outside the High Court in London after he was awarded £210,000 in damages in his privacy battle against the BBC over their coverage of a police raid of his home EPA
Earlier this week, Bland announced that she only had “days to live”.
“In the words of the legendary Frank S – I’m afraid the time has come my friends,” she later wrote on Twitter. “And suddenly. I’m told I’ve only got days. It’s very surreal... Au revoir my friends.”
Her co-hosts Deborah James and Lauren Mahon will continue presenting You, Me and the Big C.
An essay written by Bland was published yesterday in which she thanked supporters while also pointing out the online harassment she has received since revealing her diagnosis.
“I was sent so many beautiful messages along with many telling me to go to foreign climes to try miracle cancer treatment – FYI these all get deleted immediately,” she wrote for The Huffington Post.
“There were even some berating me for not trying hard enough to save myself. But I am 100% per cent behind modern medicine and have enrolled on a clinical trial.”
Bland had been working on a memoir, titled For Freddie, which was being written so her son could know about her life.
