Who was TikTok star Leah Smith?
THE heartbroken boyfriend of TikTok star Leah Smith announced on her beloved platform that she had passed away in March 2024.
But who was the inspiration? cancer fighter and how did she conquer the hearts of British people?
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Who was TikTok star Leah Smith?
Leah Smith was a young woman from Liverpool who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2019.
She shared her journey with millions of people on a TikTok account @xx_leahsmith and gained more than 500,000 followers in the years that followed.
Leah’s devastated partner Andrew took to her stage on March 11, 2024 announced that she had died that morning.
She was only 22.
Andrew told the camera: “This is just a message to everyone who has followed Leah or given her support or nice comments. I’m sorry to say that she passed away today around 11:30 this morning.
‘I just want to thank everyone. All your comments helped – she actually read them all. Anyone who has ever said something nice – it means more than you realize.
“We will all miss Leah, but we will make sure we never forget her.
“I want to see everyone talking about Leah and how great she is and how much she has helped everyone. We will never let Leah be forgotten.”
In the days leading up to Leah’s death, other loved ones joined her social media platforms to give fans updates.
Her friend Vikki said: “Leah is now at the end of her life and can’t move or talk, but she responds to us with sounds and knows we are there.
“Andrew has never left her side for a moment, he has been an absolute rock for her throughout this entire journey.
“The most important thing is that Leah is so peaceful now. She looks as beautiful as ever and we are grateful that we can be at her bedside and hold and comfort her.”
Where was Leah Smith diagnosed?
In early 2019, Leah said she started feeling pain in her back.
Speaking to the LiverpoolEcho in 2020 she said: “I had really bad back pain for ten months. It was constant, then I lost all feeling in my left leg and I knew something was definitely wrong.”
She was diagnosed ten months later Ewing’s sarcoma – a rare form of cancer that affects the bones and soft tissue.
She recalled at the time: “I was terrified. I was afraid for my life and thought I was going to die.
“I felt like my whole world had collapsed right before my eyes and that it would never get better. I felt so alone.”
Ewing’s sarcoma, or Ewing’s sarcoma, is a rare form of cancer that affects bones or the tissue around bones.
It is more common in men and mainly affects children and young people between the ages of 10 and 20 years.
The main areas affected by Ewing’s sarcoma are the legs (around the knees), pelvis, arms, ribs and spine.
Because the condition is so rare and often requires complicated treatment, you may be referred to a specialist team for your care.
Symptoms include bone pain, which may get worse over time and at night, a tender lump or swelling, and a high temperature that doesn’t go away.
Patients may also feel constantly tired and experience weight loss.
Because bones tend to be weaker, they are prone to fractures, with many people diagnosed after a fracture.
What content has Leah Smith created?
Leah started creating short dance, lip-sync, comedyand talent videos.
But she would also post updates about her cancer journey.
She said in 2020: “I wanted one TikTok to express my journey and show people my life with cancer – the ups and downs of it.
“People absolutely love it.”
In the years that followed, Leah continued to post for her fans during her hospital stay – some funny, some heartbreaking.
When her followers heard the news of her death, they expressed how much they appreciated her content.
A fellow cancer fighter tearfully wrote: “I’ve been blubbering for the past hour because most of us cancer girls couldn’t have made it through our journey without Leah.
“She was the first person to message me when I posted my career on social media and she constantly made sure I was doing well. She constantly checked on me and wished me well.
“Life really is so cruel and she deserved so much more and my heart aches for her and her family.”
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