In March 1995, Laura was a fifteen year old schoolgirl studying for her GCSEs, when she became ill and was admitted to hospital. After removal of her left ovary, she was diagnosed as having an 'immature teratoma', a relatively uncomplicated form of cancer which can often be successfully treated. During her subsequent treatment at St. James's University Hospital, Leeds, further tests showed a very different scenario. Laura had four types of cancer, three of them very aggressive, and she became an extremely rare case, one of only dozens of such cases ever reported in the whole world.

In December 1995 Laura had further surgery, during which her right ovary, her womb and part of her bowel were removed, which meant that, had she lived, she would have been infertile...

Laura died in May 1996 just two weeks after her seventeenth birthday.
We are supporting Laura’s trust as, for the brief time Laura attended 6th form college, she was in the same form as Mike and her death was felt acutely by both students and staff at the college.

The Laura Crane Trust

Cancer is the most common form of non-accidental death in teenagers and young adults yet at the time the Trust was registered there was no funding aimed specifically at research into this age group.

The Laura Crane Trust funds much needed research specifically into cancers affecting 13-25 year olds. Research funded by the Trust will ultimately bring increased understanding of cancer in this age group, better prevention and improved treatments and hopefully save young lives.

Laura's trust also supports measures to improve the quality of life for young cancer patients during their frequent and debilitating stays in hospital. They are an age group unto themselves and require occupational and social activities to help keep up their motivation, which is so desperately needed to fight their illness and cope with the harsh regimes of treatment and the isolation from school, friends and family that it brings.