The face of the controversial Pancreatic Cancer Action campaign, dies aged 24

Pancreatic Cancer victim, Kerry Harvey, 24 has passed away on the morning of Saturday 22nd February, 10 months after being diagnosed.

Kerry was the ambassador of a controversial pancreatic cancer campaign for Pancreatic Cancer Action that showed victims of the disease wishing they had other types of cancer.

The charity said “She was a brave and courageous young woman who touched so many hearts with her determination to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer despite being very ill herself. Since her diagnosis in April 2013, she devoted a significant amount of her own time trying to raise the profile of the disease that she, like many other pancreatic cancer patients, had not heard of before her diagnosis.

Kerry campaigned with selfless vigour and, despite facing criticism, wanted to help others by encouraging earlier diagnosis and attract more funds for research.”

She said herself, “some people have to shout louder and I’m on my rooftop with a megaphone.”

Thoughtful messages flooded online platforms such as Twitter and Facebook today. The charity invites people to sign a petition to ask the government to raise funding and awareness of pancreatic cancer. 

According to PCA’s campaign, just three per cent of people with pancreatic cancer survive for more than 5 years after diagnosis, compared to eighty five per cent of breast cancer victims and ninty seven per cent for testicular cancer.

However, the campaign faced criticism, many believed it to be insensitive towards victims of other types of cancer.

While on the This Morning television show Kerry said “”I know through friends and family who have had breast cancer that the survival rate from that, as long as it’s not inflammatory breast cancer or secondary, which is a lot worse, is 85 per cent, so if I was going to have cancer of course I wish I had one with a better survival rate.”