A BELOVED NHS doctor has tragically died after she was diagnosed with cancer just 15 months ago.
Dr Jessi Tucker, 40, who was responsible for the live saving care of hundreds of Covid-19 patients, received her devastating skin cancer diagnosis on March 23 last year.
Reports suggest the Bristol based doctor had undergone undergoing intense immunotherapy treatment for her initial stage 3 melanoma, while she worked ten hours shifts on the Covid frontline.
However, as her cancer became terminal and her NHS sick pay ran out, Jessi’s loved ones rushed to raise money to pay for more treatment.
Her closest friend Caroline Walker updated Jessi’s fundraising page yesterday to say that her beloved friend had sadly passed away surrounded by family on Friday night.
Writing on the GoFundMe page that she had organised for Jessi’s treatment, Caroline said: “I am sorry to share with you some very sad news in this update.
“Jessi’s condition deteriorated quite quickly in recent weeks and days. And last night, in the comfort of St Peter’s Hospice in Bristol, she passed away. She was with her family and at peace.
“Your beautiful words of support and generous donations meant so much to Jessi and her family over the past few months.
“Jessi wanted you to know that any outstanding funds from this fundraiser will be distributed amongst a small selection of her chosen charities, supporting those causes she held closest to her heart – healthcare, animals and nature.
“On a personal note, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support for my dear friend, a special soul who touched more lives than we will ever know.”
Despite undergoing intense immunotherapy, Jessi’s initial stage 3 melanoma progressed to stage 4 – the most aggressive stage – and she was told at the start of the year that she could have just nine months to live.
To make matters, the Bristol based doctor had used up all her NHS sick leave whilst undergoing cancer treatment – and was no longer receiving sick pay from work.
Caroline set up a GoFundMe page to help support Jessi when she started a new course of dual immunotherapy back in January 2021 that could have left her permanently unable to care for herself.
The fundraising page raised over £15,000 in the four weeks since it was set up and has now stopped at just over £23,000 with Caroline disabling it for future donations.
