tragic news Ulster teen diagnosed with rare form of cancer passes away

Rachel Osborne complained of weakness in her leg during lockdown before tumour was found

Rachel Osborne sadly passed away on Sunday

March 09 2021 11:53 AM

A Co Down teenager has passed away from a rare form of spinal cancer.

Rachel Osborne, from Bangor, was diagnosed with a tumour on her spinal cord last summer.

She passed away peacefully on Sunday.

After the tumour was detected last July, Rachel underwent an emergency operation.

She was told afterwards that she had a diffuse midline glioma, an aggressive type of tumour which has no cure.

The tumour was initially detected when Rachel said she was feeling weakness in her right leg and foot during lockdown, and was initially thought to be benign before doctors find it to be malignant.

When she was given the devastating news her friends and family began a fundraising campaign to get her to an overseas drug trial in the United States which may have prolonged her life.

Rachel's mother, Susanne, last year said that early positive signs from the drug trial had "given us a glimmer of hope that Rachel could potentially fulfil her dream of going to university".

Susanne also said the public support for Rachel and the amount of donations which had been made to the fundraiser had left her family feeling "overwhelmed".

Rachel had planned to go to the University of Glasgow so that she could study anatomy.

In a funeral notice she was described as the "much loved youngest daughter of Paul and Susanne Osborne and loving sister to Rhiannon and Erin".