Television presenter Nadia Sawalha has shared the heartbreaking news that her best friend, Hannah Gardner, has died at the age of 39 following a long battle with incurable breast cancer.
A Heartfelt Tribute to a 'Beautiful' Friend
Sawalha announced the death on social media, posting a poignant photograph of Hannah wearing a sparkly dress and sitting on a swing. Alongside the image, she wrote a moving caption: 'Rest in peace now darling'.
In an emotional message, the Loose Women star described feeling 'shocked and distraught', despite knowing the outcome was inevitable. 'Our beautiful Hannah... Although we knew it was coming we are all so deeply shocked and distraught', she wrote. 'No need to be brave anymore darling you can now rest in peace, and all the love you created. You were and will forever be deeply loved.'
She also extended her gratitude to the staff at The Princess Alice Hospice in Esher for their 'extraordinary' kindness and care shown to Hannah and her loved ones.
The Battle for a Pioneering Cancer Drug
Hannah Gardner, a former clinical trial manager and mother to a three-year-old daughter, was first diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2013. The disease returned in 2017 and again in 2020. In June 2022, she received the devastating news that she had stage four incurable breast cancer, which had spread to her liver.
Earlier this year, Nadia Sawalha had spoken publicly about her friend's desperate fight to access a pioneering cancer drug called Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan). The drug had been blocked for routine use on the NHS in England after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) deemed the cost too high for the health service.
This decision left Hannah and Nadia 'reeling'. Sawalha revealed that Enhertu had the potential to give her friend an extra six months of life – precious time to make more memories with her young daughter. 'For Hannah, she wants to hear her child say just even one word with her being autistic, so that she knows she's gonna be all right', Nadia explained in a tearful interview with MailOnline in March 2024.
Trials indicated the drug could hold cancer at bay for over two years, compared to seven months with chemotherapy. Despite being available in Scotland, the blockage in England prompted an outcry. An NHS spokesperson expressed deep disappointment that the drug companies, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo, had not offered it at a price NICE could recommend.
A Community in Mourning
Nadia Sawalha received an outpouring of support following her announcement. Her husband, Mark Adderley, commented: 'Just so so heartbreaking - a beautiful woman - a beautiful friend - a beautiful mother - just can't believe it'.
Hannah had appeared alongside Nadia on ITV's Loose Women to discuss their campaign for the drug. On the show, she movingly stated: 'I don't know how long I've got... It's not a fairy tale, it only ends one way. All we can have is extra time and this drug would have given me that, more time with my daughter. Six months might not sound like a long time, but it is in the world of secondary breast cancer.'
In a final health update in March, Hannah shared that tumours in her liver were growing. She wrote on Instagram: 'I've been hit with probably the worst news I've had yet. Progression... I'm scared, I can't lie.'
Nadia Sawalha remembered her friend as a 'powerhouse' who, despite being given bad news on multiple occasions, rarely faltered. 'She breaks for like a minute... it's always a privilege to watch', Nadia said, highlighting Hannah's strength and advocacy.
