Emma Hannigan, best-selling author of Letters To My Daughters has died aged 45 following a 11-year battle with cancer
Emma Hannigan, best-selling author of Letters To My Daughters and 12 other books has died aged 45 following a 11-year battle with cancer.
The mother-of-two recently revealed she had fought cancer 10 times.
The Irish author began raising money for Breast Cancer Ireland after sharing her terminal diagnosis with the world.
‘It’s never too late to dream big, keep dreaming,’ she tweeted ‘Thank you so much, please keep those donations coming in and don’t stop until we reach the top,’ she added.
Shortly before her death, she revealed she had raised €100,000 for Breast Cancer Ireland.
Dubray Books, her publisher, are donating all profits from her number one book ‘Letters to My Daughter’ to the Irish Cancer Society.
She had a double mastectomy and both ovaries removed in 2006, in a move to reduce the risk from cancer.
Breast Cancer Ireland posted on Twitter: ‘BCI wish to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of our dear friend Emma Hannigan who lost her battle with cancer earlier today. RIP’.
Mrs Hannigan was told in 2005 that she carried the faulty BRCA1 gene, which increases a woman’s chance of getting breast cancer by 85 per cent, and ovarian cancer by 50 per cent.
She opted to have a double mastectomy and oophorectomy the following year, to reduce her risk.
Shortly before her death, Mrs Hannigan revealed she had raised €100,000 for Breast Cancer Ireland
It was the cancer diagnosis 13 years ago that also spurned a career in writing.
But despite the drastic surgery, she has been diagnosed with breast cancer ten times.
The Breast Cancer Campaign estimates preventative mastectomy is thought to reduce breast cancer risk in carriers of the BRCA gene, by 90 per cent.
The odds reduce a woman’s risk to lower than that of the average for women who do not carry the mutated gene.
Mrs Hannigan wrote 13 books, including those about her cancer. Her latest book, Letters to my Daughters, was number one at the time of her death
‘I didn’t look at it like I was losing my ovaries or breasts,’ Mrs Hannigan said in a 2015 interview. ‘I looked at it like I was gaining my life.
‘It wasn’t a difficult decision. It was a no-brainer – I wanted to live.’
Her latest novel Letters to my Daughters is currently at the top of the bookshops in Ireland.
It had sold more than 4000 books in the last week, according to Nielsen, making it Ireland’s bestselling title.
Mrs Hannigan was told in 2005 that she carried the faulty BRCA1 gene, which increases a woman’s chance of getting breast cancer by 85 per cent, and ovarian cancer by 50 per cent
In a blog post last month, the author discussed her terminal cancer.
She said: ‘Faced with very little time can I tell you what screams out at me? Love.
‘Nothing else has much meaning anymore. Just the love I feel for the people I hold dear. My two babies (ok they both tower over me, but I’m still allowed call them my babies) my husband, my parents, my family, my friends and readers.’
In a 2015 interview, the writer revealed how she had a family history of breast cancer.
‘My aunt Helen died of breast cancer when she was 42. My other aunts, Ruth and Cathy, survived breast cancer in their 30s and 40s. My great aunt, Anneliese, died from ovarian cancer’ she told the MailOnline.
‘When gene testing came in my family were invited to have tests. My mother, Cathy and Ruth were all diagnosed with the faulty gene.
‘So I was tested and I was diagnosed too. Then I made the decision to reduce my risk of cancer and have surgery.
‘It was not difficult. I had seen Helen die.
‘I had two young children. I only had to look at them and know that I had made the right choice.’
Tributes to the writer have poured in since her death was announced.
Fellow authour Claudia Caroll wrote: ‘Heartbroken to hear the sad news about our beautiful, brave Emma Hannigan. Tonight, there really is one more angel in Heaven.’
Breast Cancer Ireland also paid tribute to their ambassador saying: ‘BCI wish to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of our dear friend Emma Hannigan who lost her battle with cancer earlier today. RIP’
Her latest novel Letters to my Daughters is currently at the top of the bookshops in Ireland
Since the news broke of Mrs Hannigan’s death, tributes have poured in online for the Irish author
Maia Dunphy, a broadcaster and her friend, tweeted: ‘The news we never wanted to hear. Even in her last days, @MsEmmaHannigan was still blazing a trail. Her book reached number one and she raised over 100k for @BreastCancerIre. Just extraordinary. Love and thoughts with Cian, Sacha and Kim. We miss her light already.’
Star of Irish TV, Elaine Cowley wrote: ‘Our lovely and beautiful friend Emma Hannigan has lost her battle to Cancer. She was such an inspiration to all of us and will be sadly missed. Our thoughts are with her family. She will always be in our hearts.’
The author shared her fundraising efforts on Twitter, managing to raise €100,000 for Breast Cancer Ireland
Hachette Ireland, her publisher, said: ‘So sad that our beloved author & friend Emma Hannigan passed away earlier today. She inspired us all with her immeasurable strength, her generosity & her love. She was a storyteller to her core & will be missed so much. Our thoughts are with her family now.’
Businesswoman Norah Casey wrote: ‘Such sad news – a wonderful courageous woman just left our world – my heartfelt condolences to her wonderful family.’
Her novels include; the Pink Ladies Club, Keeping Mum, Perfect Wives Driving Home for Christmas, The Summer Guest, The Heart of Winter,Designer Genes, Miss Conceived, The Secrets We Share and Talk to the Headscarf.
Mrs Hannigan is survived by her husband Cian and two teenager children Sacha and Kim.