“My heart will never be the same again, the world took our Megy this morning,” Justin, the father of the couple’s four-year-old daughter Harper, said.

“The most beautiful sparkle has been taken way too early in her life.

“My gorgeous wife, our beautiful mumma to Harper, we adore you like no other.

“Your strength, resilience and determination will love forever in Harper and your legacy will last forever.”

When the Bulletin met Megy in April 2020, the brave 31-year-old was months into a diagnosis of stage four bowel cancer, amid the global pandemic and harsh restrictions.

She had to battle the disease away from loved ones when restrictions around borders were tight and visitors to hospitals not allowed.

But determined to watch Harper grow up, Megy threw every inch of herself into fighting the insidious disease, which was well progressed by the time she was diagnosed in 2019.

“No rain, no flowers,” Megy would often say during her ferocious fight.

Love and support poured in for the gutsy bridal hairstylist and award-winning owner of Megy & Co (formerly The Style Room).

In the years before her battle, she rallied 30 vendors to gift a $50,000 wedding to cancer survivors Rebecca Limb and Matt McLean, now her friends.

“I’ve always struggled and hated asking for help. I would prefer to help,” she said at the time.

“But I realised you either ask for help or you could potentially never see your daughter grow up. I knew I had to ask for financial help.”

Megy put her cancer symptoms, shortness of breath, overwhelming fatigue and occasional stomach pains, down to pure exhaustion.

By the time she was diagnosed, doctors said her cancer was inoperable. It had spread to her liver and lymph nodes and she had three-to-five years to live.

But Megy vowed to do whatever it took to watch her “ball of happiness” daughter “grow up to be the woman that we’re raising her to be”.

She flew to Sydney in 2020 and survived the “mother of all surgeries” after having spots on her lungs and liver removed.

Despite being put in a coma for five days from liver failure, she was determined to keep fighting and went on to have numerous painful and invasive surgeries and chemotherapy in a bid to get as much time with her family as possible.

The Gold Coast Girls in Business community, Dominoes and the Pink Flamingo hosted fundraising events to help Megy and her family survive, as Mr Gough was caring for his family and unable to work.

Throughout her long and brave fight, Megy shared personal accounts of her physical and mental battles, but Harper was always what gave her the strength to live through the pain.

“Your mum, that’s all I want to be, all I’ve ever wanted to be,” Megy said.

“Please just let me stay and be your mummy.”

In the months before her passing, Megy stepped up her efforts to raise awareness of bowel cancer and warned other young women to watch our for signs.

She reminded them to put their health first and not ignore early warnings — to learn from her struggles.

Justin Gough, who was at his wife’s side throughout her three-year struggle, has asked the public to “please respect Megy’s family at this time”.

“Cancer is a cruel disease one should never endure,” Mr Gough said.

“You fought ‘til the very end. Rest easy Megy, your pain is no longer. I will cherish your love.”

Megy, who loved sunflowers, will be remembered fondly by the Gold Coast community for her selfless spirit and her overwhelming gratitude for each and every person who took the time to send a message or donate money to help her fight to live for her daughter.

In a message to this reporter after an article was published about an upcoming fundraising event, Megy wrote: “Thank you so much. I can’t thank you enough. Thank you for all your help and for caring”.

RIP Megy.

emily.toxward@news.com.au