May Brown was just 21 years old when she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid leukaemia in July 2015.

Alongside her husband (ex-soldier) Mike, three-year-old daughter Selina, and supported by blood cancer charity ACLT, she launched a #SaveMayBrown campaign in August last year.

The campaign was in response to the Home Office denying her sister Martha Williams, entry into the UK to donate her bone marrow (stem cells) after it was confirmed Martha was a 10 out of 10 match for May.

As a result of May’s efforts, over 65,000 signed her #SaveMayBrown e-petition via Change.org which requested for the Home Office to overturn their decision and grant Martha entry into the UK for the transplant to take place.

The Home Office overturned their decision within a week of the campaign being launched, with Martha arriving a few days later.

May’s transplant was initially delayed as she became unwell with a virus and required further chemotherapy treatment before the transplant could take place.

Photo: May’s sister Martha Williams donating her stem cells to her sister earlier this year

In January, this year the transplant went ahead and May received her sister’s donated stem cells. Martha returned to Nigeria April this year, having spent time post the transplant to support her sister back to health. May was declared to be free of the illness, however, one week after her sister left to go back to Nigeria (April) this year, May relapsed.

May and her family were told by her consultants last week there was nothing more the doctors could do for her, however, she continued to stay strong-willed to fight the disease.

May passed away, with her husband and loved ones by her side last Friday, at King’s College Hospital, London.

May’s husband Mike Brown has said:

“May will forever be remembered in our hearts. She was a strong, beautiful, supportive, wonderful wife and mother; Selina and I will truly miss her.

May was incredibly grateful to the support given to her from ACLT, and I echo those words on behalf of me and our daughter Selina.

May will forever remain in our hearts.”

Photo: (L-R): ACLT PR Manager Ronke Oke, May Brown & ACLT co-founder Beverley De-Gale

Beverley De-Gale (co-founder of ACLT and mother to UK’s first black recipient of an unrelated stem cell transplant) said:

“On Friday 14th July, May Brown passed away surrounded by her husband Mike and her loved ones. In the 18 months, I’ve known her, I can say May was a remarkable woman who fought hard to beat this terrible illness.

Every member of the ACLT team is extremely saddened by her passing. Our thoughts are with her husband Mike, three-year-old daughter Selina and May’s sister Martha.”

Through May’s campaign, many thousands were added to the stem cell register in the UK and Nigeria, with the additional support shown by May’s local MP Richard Drax and Labour MP Dawn Butler.

Photo: May with three year old daughter Selina

Rest in perfect peace May. #RIPMayBrown