Dancer dies after cancer fight
A dancer who defied ovarian cancer for almost six years has died less than a month after appearing in a show that raised £20,000 for children suffering from the disease.
Emily Garrington-Harris, aged 28, underwent a total of 11 operations and in February 2007 was given just weeks to live by medical staff.
But her family say she refused to give up and lived life to the full.
Her father Greg, a 60-year-old retired kitchen fitter, recalled at the family home in Sandy Lane, Codall, today: "We discussed her funeral and took her to Mexico so she could realise her lifetime dream of swimming with dolphins. When we got home she said: 'I don't want to see any nurses. My times is not yet. I am not going anywhere.' Every day was a bonus for us after that. It was wonderful as the weeks rolled by after that and she was still able to enjoy life. It seemed as if she would go on for ever and we played it the way she wanted it to be. We were there when she needed us."
On December 10, Emily performed a solo during a specially-choreographed event at the Metropole Hotel in Birmingham in aid of the Wish Upon A Star appeal for terminally ill youngsters.
Her proud husband Dean, aged 35, who was in the audience, said: "All the other girls agreed that she stole the show.
"I loved to watch her dance and everybody was rooting for her. It was important for Emily and there would have been no point in trying to persuade her otherwise."
Her mother Pat, 58, said she and husband Greg were at home "holding our breath" when their daughter took to the stage that night. "But that was Emily all over – she lived for dancing and it was wonderful that she was doing it for children because ideally she would have loved to have had them herself," she said.
"I am so proud of her. Dancing was the thing she loved to do more than anything else. She always had rhythm as a youngster and we realised she had real talent as soon as she started to tap dance at the age of 11.
"She lived life to the full and wanted to continue with it as long as possible. She said she wanted to be normal Emily and not Emily with cancer.
"She pushed herself to the limits. Hospital staff were astounded that she was still walking let alone dancing. She was incredibly strong in both mind and body but in the end her body just could not cope any more."
Emily, who worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland in Wolverhampton and also performed as a pole dancer at the Legs 11 club in Birmingham, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after a check up in March 2003. She underwent three courses of chemotherapy and became engaged to Dean in September 2005. The couple married at Madeley Court, Telford, in August the following year and set up home in Upper Ashley Street, Blackheath. Dean said: "We did not get married because her time was short. We got married because we loved each other. The chemotherapy caused problems for her but she lived her life to the best of her ability.
"Despite her treatment she was always glamorous and continued to perform at Legs 11 when circumstances allowed. That was not the result of a sympathy vote. She was there on merit. The staff at Legs 11 and at the Royal Bank of Scotland have both been wonderfully supportive."
Emily, who attended Elston Hall school in Oxley, and Codsall Middle and High Schools, and has a sister Maxine who is 37, died peacefully on January 4. Her funeral will be a Humanist service at Telford Crematorium on Monday at 3.30pm.
