Family tribute to Karen Rigby who died after brave cancer battle

Karen Rigby was described by those who loved her most as the ‘nicest lady you could ever meet’, and they said her ‘smile lit up every room’.

The 60-year-old mum-of-two and grandmother-of-seven was diagnosed with a stage-four brain tumour after experiencing strange smells and feelings of déjà vu.

Despite overcoming the odds for more time with her family, she sadly died on Sunday, November 6, holding hands with her devoted husband of 39 years Kevin, their beloved children Alex and Lorraine and their partners Debbie and Craig.

Karen had been battling hard since late 2015, and still during this period she continued to put other people before herself.

Her family hope that her legacy will live on and will inspire others to never give up, while they also wish to raise vital awareness of the signs of the cruel disease.

Her daughter Lorraine Lea, who lives in Great Sankey and owns The Physio Lounge business in the area, gave a heartfelt tribute to her mum.

Karen with her beloved children Lorraine and Alex

“She was my best friend, it does not seem real and she would never give up. She was so strong,” she said.

“She was a butterfly, her love led to her using inheritance to take us all to Florida. I took my then boyfriend who decided there that he wanted to marry me – we now have two children.

“Everything she did was for others, and if her legacy is anything I hope it is that people do not give up hope.

“The NHS knows so much but not everything, so get second opinions, seek alternative treatments and do not take no for an answer.

“She was given 12 months over two years ago and she beat the odds.

“We want to thank all of the kind messages we received. We could not be more proud of our beautiful and amazing mum.”

Kevin and Karen on her 60th birthday

Karen’s health journey began in late 2015, when she was experiencing feelings of déjà vu and odd smells, which doctors initially believed was due to menopause.

However, the former Bewsey Autotrader and Risley New World Air Brake worker knew something was not right following a couple of ‘funny turns’.

One night, she had a grand mal seizure and was rushed to the hospital, with scans over the next five days revealing she had a grade-two glioma brain tumour.

The surgery to remove the tumour went really well and she was back in work six weeks later, and for three years she had regular scans which were all clear.

But Karen, who lived in St Helens, underwent a routine scan in November 2020 which showed the tumour had returned for round two.

She was operated on within a week, however results revealed her tumour was much worse than expected, and she was diagnosed with grade-four glioblastoma.

Karen Rigby

While most people diagnosed are given six to 12 months to live, even with treatment, Karen fought on for more than 19 months.

Paying tribute to his wife, Kevin, 65, said: “Karen was the most positive and upbeat person. From the moment I met her on holiday when she was 16, her smile has always lit up any room she was in.

“Others would have got that diagnosis and accepted it, but we did not, and we cherished every day. If anyone got sad about her situation, she would say ‘I am still here’ and people treated her the same.

“Everyone who met her loved her. She is the love of my life, we have two children and seven grandchildren and had a great life together. I am so proud of her.”

Her son Alex, 36, added: “Everyone says it, but we could not have asked for a better mum. She was so brave and positive and devoted to me and Lorraine then our kids.

“She was ill but kept us going. Family was everything to her and she was and will always be everything to us.

Karen with her grandchildren

“We spent a lot of time together anyway, but the diagnosis made us appreciate everything a bit more.

“We did not give the tumour our fear, it did not deserve that and it does not deserve our respect. Mum fought so hard and did not let it stop her.

“Her and dad’s strength give us strength which helped us be brave for our children. I will never forget how they dealt with this. It has changed me for the better and my family too. I now know to never give up.”

Karen’s funeral will take place at Greenacres in Rainford at 10am on Tuesday, December 6, followed by a wake at The Function Room.

People attending the funeral are asked to wear lilac or powder blue – Karen’s favourite colours - as she did not want people to wear black at her funeral.

Family flowers only, however donations can be sent to Ahead of the Game Foundation via aheadofthegamefoundation.com