Mum-of-three Leane Flynn dead at 55 after ovarian cancer battle

Ovarian cancer campaigner and mum-of-three Leane Flynn has died from the disease after an “incredibly tough” six-year battle.

Ovarian cancer campaigner Leane Flynn has died from the disease after an “incredibly tough” six-year battle.

The beloved mum-of-three’s family announced the sad news in an Instagram post on Wednesday night.

“It’s with a heavy heart that we have to share our beautiful Leane passed away yesterday surrounded by [husband] Justin and the girls,” the caption read.

“There are no words to express the loss and emotions we are feeling. Leane was a loving mother, wife, friend and ambassador for the OCRF (Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation). “She fought an incredibly tough battle all the way to the end and she did it with pure resilience and positivity the whole way.

“Even through her hardest times she always continued to share her story and raise awareness for ovarian cancer.”

Ovarian cancer campaigner Leane Flynn has died from the disease after an 'incredibly tough' six-year battle. Picture: Instagram

‘There are no words to express the loss and emotions we are feeling,’ her family wrote on Instagram. Picture: Instagram

Flynn’s family added they would continue to post to her social media account “on behalf of her so we can keep spreading awareness so no one else has to go through what she went through”.

“We would like to say Thankyou to everyone for the years of love and support. Your positive messages and comments always brightened her day and we are very grateful for that,” they continued.

“We will miss our Leane everyday and she’s everywhere with us.”

With her husband Justin. Picture: Instagram

With her husband, Justin, and their three daughters. Picture: Instagram

Flynn was diagnosed with the insidious disease – of which more than 1000 Australian women die from each year – in April 2017, when a Coke can-sized tumour was discovered on her ovaries. A banana-sized tumour was also found on her liver.

The 55-year-old – who has been the ambassador for the Witchery White Shirt campaign for the past five years, as well as an ambassador for the OCRF – had a recurrence in 2018.

“It felt like Groundhog Day. My doctor called and said, ‘I wish I had good news for you, but they’ve found something there’,” she told Marie Claire of her cancer’s return.

“I thought, ‘Why can’t I just be cured?’ I’m a good person. I’m prepared to spend every waking moment devoting my life to ovarian cancer, but I don’t want to die for the cause; I don’t want to be a martyr.”

Flynn with this year's Witchery White Shirt designer, P.E Nation's Pip Edwards. Picture: Instagram

Flynn with Maria Thattil, Georgie Tunny, Jelena Dokic and Dr Maree Blandzic. Picture: Dan Castano

Last January, after three months in hospital, Flynn was told she had a week to live.

Speaking to 7News in May this year, she said that “at this stage, [doctors] are telling me I’m terminal, and it’s incurable, and I will only last as long as the treatments last”.

“Everything I’m doing now is about buying time … it’s never in the hope of curing it or even [going into] remission,” Flynn said.

“I’ve done every available chemo twice. I’m thinking, ‘What are my options now?’

“All we can look at is, ‘OK, maybe I can get an extra month if I do this, or an extra month if we add something or change the routine’. It’s literally coming down to adding months to my life, which is horrible.”