A paramedic who died at the age of 27 just weeks after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour had ‘dedicated herself to helping others’ who ‘worked tirelessly’ to land her dream job, heartbroken friends have said.
Megan Lines, who was described as living a life ‘dedicated to helping others’, tragically died on December 15 soon after the aggressive tumour was diagnosed.
Since the funeral for the young paramedic from Dereham, Norfolk, took place last month, almost £4,000 has been raised for the British Heart Foundation and the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
A group of four of Megan’s friends organised a fundraiser called Moving for Meg to raise funds for the charity Brainstrust.
So far they have raised more than £2,200 of their £3,000 target.
They will run the London Landmarks Half Marathon in April in memory of the paramedic, who was also a keen runner.
Organiser Emily Storey wrote on JustGiving: ‘Megan was more than just my friend— she was a colleague, role model and someone I was so proud to stand beside as we graduated from university as paramedics last year.
‘Becoming a paramedic was her dream and she worked tirelessly to achieve it.
Megan’s close friend Emily Storey said working as a paramedic was Megan’s dream and she ‘worked hard to achieve it’
Megan was described as a ‘bright light in the world’ and ‘a beautiful young lady taken too soon’
‘Megan dedicated herself to helping others, always putting their needs first and it breaks my heart that such a bright future was taken from her far too soon.
‘She was only 27, with so much ahead of her—a promising career to fulfill, adventures to be had and life to live.
‘Having got the privilege to get to know her family, we’re running to ensure fewer families face the pain of losing someone like Megan.’
Admitting the half marathon will be a challenge, Emily said: ‘Megan’s strength, kindness, and determination will inspire all of us every step of the way.
‘We’re hoping to make her proud and turn such devastation into a positive opportunity to share her story and raise awareness for such a vital cause.
‘Megan’s life was dedicated to helping others, and now we can carry that legacy forward.’
Megan was described as living a life ‘dedicated to helping others’ and tragically died on December 15 after her diagnosis
More than 12,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour in the UK each year, of which about half are cancerous.
Generally, around 17 out of every 100 people with a cancerous brain tumour will survive for five years or more after being diagnosed.
A colleague paid tribute to Megan, writing: ‘Megs was the kindest person you could wish to meet. We started colleagues at UCLH but Megs was instantly a much treasured and amazing friend.’
Another person wrote: ‘Megan was a truly caring and amazing person. Her family and friends should be proud of the person she was and how much kindness and compassion she bought to her patients and colleagues.’
Other comments read: ‘Such a beautiful young lady taken away too young,’ with one person describing her as ‘a bright light in the world’.
