A terminally ill beautician whose tragic story moved residents to contribute thousands of pounds to her dying wish for a dream wedding has lost her battle with cancer.

Kayleigh Brannan, of Veals Mead, Mitcham, died last month after an aggressive brain tumour was diagnosed by doctors who gave her only months to live last September.

After the 22-year-old was given the terrible news, for her wedding to boyfriend Danny Lowe, at St Thomas a Beckett Church, Wandsworth.

One of her devoted friends, Beverley Webb, paid tribute to Mrs Brannan after her death on August 8.

Writing on Facebook, she said: “She lived her life to the full and inspired us all by her strength and character.

“She will always be in the lives of those that she touched and continue to watch over.”

After the wedding, close friend Angela Cornwall said: “It was such a beautiful service and, because Kayleigh had such a big smile on her face, you would have never known she was ill.

“This is something everyone has worked so hard for and we were just blown away by how generous people have been to make this happen.”

Despite an operation to remove the tumour last September, Mrs Brannan’s condition worsened dramatically and she was told by doctors at the Royal Marsden Hospital nothing more could be done for her.

The cancer left her partially blind in both eyes and she had an abortion after she was told the chemotherapy treatment would give her baby Down’s syndrome.

Speaking to the Wimbledon Guardian, after receiving the terrible news last year, Mrs Brannan said: “I was told I had a tumour in a quarter of my brain, but then I had an emergency operation and they removed 98 per cent of it.

“For the 2 per cent that was left, I had to have regular radiotherapy treatment.

“I try to stay as positive as I can but sometimes it’s so hard I just completely break down. I just want to give myself the best quality of life with the time I’ve got left.”

Mrs Brannan’s death adds further heartache for the Brannan family after her older half sister, Louisa Brannan, was stabbed to death in a flat in Sutton in March.

The man charged with her murder, 18-year-old Reece Ludlow, will appear at Woolwich Crown Court this morning where he will be asked to enter a plea.

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