England star Beth Mead has confirmed the passing of her mother after a long and "brave" battle with ovarian cancer.
The Arsenal forward, 27, took to social media. to announce the heartbreaking news in an emotional farewell to her mother, June, who passed away on January 7 surrounded by loved ones, according to Mead's social media post.
Mead’s message in full reads: “Thought long and hard about what to write but there will never be any words that will do justice.
"At 1am on the 7th of Jan, our beautiful, kind, funny Mum & Wife passed away after a long & brave battle against Ovarian Cancer. She was surrounded by myself, my brother & dad as she passed away peacefully.
"Our hearts are broken, there will be a piece missing forever but heaven has now gained a special angel. If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever. I’m sad that you are gone, but I’m more grateful for the time we had together.
“Our family would appreciate some privacy during this difficult time. We love you lots, forever & always. RIP Mama.”
Mead, who was the winner of this year’s BBC Sport Personality of the Year, revealed recently that the pinnacle season of her career, which culminated in Euro 2022 glory, was fuelled behind the scenes by one of the most difficult personal periods of her life following her mother's cancer diagnosis in 2021.
The news arrived roughly around the time Mead was not included in the Team GB squad for the 2021 Summer Olympics.
What followed on the pitch was nothing short of extraordinary, with Mead carrying a sensational run of form with Arsenal into the summer with the Lionesses, where she was crowned player of the tournament and the Golden Boot winner as Sarina Wiegman's side lifted the Euro 2022 trophy over Germany at a sold-out Wembley.
Speaking to BBC Sport ahead of December's SPY Awards, Mead owed her success to her mother: "At the end of the day, I've just been playing football while she's been battling one of the hardest diseases that is known to anyone, so my biggest motivation and biggest moment [of the year] is just my mum, my mum in general.
"The strength that my mum off the pitch has given me - it's been a difficult year for my family and for her individually - so she has been incredible.
"It was amazing to get the trophies and celebrate in front of all the fans but for me I couldn't wait to get round the stadium to then get to my mum, dad and brother and cherish and share that moment with them."
For more information on ovarian cancer from the NHS, click here.
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