Two 11-year-old twin girls have been tragically orphaned after their mother died from breast cancer on the same date their father passed away less than two years earlier. Hannah Whitsell, 40, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, lost her battle with the disease on January 14, exactly the same date her ex-partner died of pneumonia in May 2023.
Hannah tried to hide her diagnosis from her daughters, Isabelle and Emmy, after finding a lump under her arm. She underwent chemotherapy and a double mastectomy in August 2024, and was given the all-clear on September 12. However, the cancer returned a month later and spread to her bones.
She was admitted to hospital in December with fluid in her lungs and pneumonia, but returned home for one final Christmas with her girls. She later returned with complications from pneumonia, HMPV virus and sepsis, and died surrounded by loved ones. Her twin daughters thanked her for being their mum as she slipped away, her brother Thomas said.
Thomas, 33, said: 'After losing their dad, Hannah was their world – she was such a good mum. They said they'd been worried about their dad being on his own in heaven, but now mummy was there to look after daddy and vice versa.' The girls are being cared for by Hannah's father and his wife.
A GoFundMe page launched by Thomas has raised nearly £30,000 for the twins' continued care. He hopes Hannah's story will raise awareness of cancer and prevent similar tragedies.
