Lorraine Kelly remembers cancer campaigner Kris Hallenga
During a poignant moment on ITV's morning programme, Lorraine Kelly halted the show to pay homage to her 'special' friend. In Tuesday's broadcast of the popular show, a visibly emotional Lorraine, aged 64, returned to our screens and shortly after the programme began, she made a sombre announcement.
Lorraine said, "First, though, we are remembering someone very special, a campaigner and a big friend of this show, Kris Hallenga, who died earlier this year."
"She was only 38 but she was diagnosed with incurable stage four breast cancer when she was just 23 years old, her life is the subject of a new documentary that airs tonight. It highlights her unique philosophy on living with terminal cancer and the impact she made on all of us."
Kris Hallenga became a figure of inspiration after being diagnosed with terminal secondary breast cancer at the age of 23 in 2009, following more than a year of misdiagnosis by her GP.
The star passed away from the illness in May this year at the age of 38. Her family commemorated her life with a touching video montage that captured her dancing, swimming, strolling along the beach, and sharing laughter with friends, reports the Mirror.
Kris had been a fervent advocate for breast cancer awareness, campaigning tirelessly so that others would recognise the signs and symptoms early enough for effective treatment.
Her advocacy led to the successful inclusion of cancer education in school syllabuses and she penned a best-selling book titled 'Glittering A Turd'. Kris's ultimate aspiration was for the charity CoppaFeel! to become redundant, envisioning a future where late diagnosis of breast cancer could be completely eliminated.
The BBC is set to air a poignant tribute to Kris Hallenga with their programme, Living Every Second: The Kris Hallenga Story. This touching documentary will chart Kris' life from birth, through her childhood, and into the challenging times of living with terminal cancer.
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The show promises to be an intimate portrayal featuring contributions from Kris' family and friends, including celebrities Fearne Cotton and Dawn French. In a heartfelt snippet from the documentary, Fearne Cotton shares: "I met Kris, this gazelle of gorgeousness and sticks a CoppaFeel sticker on me. I was like, 'Oh, my God, the famous Kris that I've been hearing about.' The next thing you know, I'm doing the Bath half marathon."
Cotton continues with candour: "You can't say no to Kris. Did I want to do a bath marathon? No, no, I did not. Did I do it? Yes, yes, I did. So I had quite a harsh initiation into my friendship with Kris, but also I loved her from the minute that I met her."
Lorraine airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm
