Jade Goody died from cervical cancer 16 years ago on Mother’s Day, after a shock diagnosis. In her last weeks, she spent time sharing her story, securing a future for her children, Bobby and Freddy, who were 4 and 5-years-old at the time.

Her story did not only have an impact on her family, friends and fans, but made strides in raising the importance of women going for smear tests, checking for cervical cancer. After her death, and highly publicised experience, women attending vital smear tests rose by 12 per cent.

After experiencing symptoms such as blood loss and pains in her leg, Jade sought medical advice. While taking part on the Indian version of Big Brother, Jade received a devastating phone call from her consultant. She had cancer.

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Once arriving back in the UK, it was confirmed that the symptoms Jade had been experiencing for two years was cancer, and a tangerine-sized tumour had had greatly impacted more than half of her womb. Following the diagnosis, Jade had a hysterectomy as well as chemotherapy. Surgeons later discovered her cancer had already spread and there was nothing more they could do.

Speaking on This Morning, Jade said, “I just want to carry on being to the boys and to myself normal, and I'm quite naïve with the whole cancer thingy.

"I haven't done any research or anything, and I don't want to know. I only know what I need to know, which is this is my medication and this is that, this is when I get better. I don't want to know the ins and outs because it's too much for my brain to take it in. It really is."

On Valentine’s Day in 2009, Jade was told that her cancer had spread to her liver, bowel, and groin. Her cancer had become terminal. At the time, said, "I couldn't breathe when they told me. I just screamed and cried and said, 'Can't anyone do anything to help me?'"

"A few weeks ago, when they first told me the chemo hadn't worked, they said it didn't have to be the end. I know they've done everything they can to help me, and I'm grateful. But I really thought I might be OK."

Just 48 hours before she passed away, as Jade was drifting in and out of consciousness, she heard her son Bobby, then five, crying in his sleep. With an incredible strength of will and against the advice of her doctors, Jade managed to haul herself out of bed to go to her son.

Jade died in her sleep in the early hours of March 22 on Mother's Day, but her incredible legacy has lived on, with the number of women having smear tests increasing by 12 per cent following her death.

According to NHS England, in 2022-23, everyone who was due a test – a total of 4.62 million individuals aged 25 to 64 in England – was invited to book an appointment, and 3.43 million attended screening during the year. It changed women's outlook on cancer and getting tested.

Symptoms of cervical cancer include:

  • vaginal bleeding that's unusual for you – including bleeding during or after sex, between your periods or after the menopause , or having heavier periods than usual

  • changes to your vaginal discharge

  • pain during sex

  • pain in your lower back, between your hip bones (pelvis), or in your lower tummy