'She had a smile that would brighten the room': Family pays tribute to Chorley mum who had battled cancer

Mum-of-one Siobhan Mannion, 33, was first diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in April after four months of being told the painful lump on her breast was a cyst and used her experience to urge young women to get checked.

Her family announced publicly on February 6 that she sadly passed away over the weekend.

Her partner and fiance Danny Pollitt said she was a 'special lady' and his 'soulmate'.

In an emotional tribute on social media, he said: "I said goodnight to not only a wonderful daughter to Cris, a great sister to Sarah, a one in a million auntie to Ryan and Liam who she was proud of, but also the best mum I've ever met to Riley, who I am so proud of.

"She was a great friend to many and a best friend to a few. She was an impact to so many people lives and she had a smile that would not only melt your heart but brighten the room.

"She wasn't just my best friend, she wasn't just my fiancee, not just a partner, but my soul mate. I will never meet anyone that would impact my life ever again. I miss you so much and I love you Siobhan and I always will."

Siobhan passed away at 5:46 pm last Saturday, February 6, prompting an outcry of kind words and support for the family across social media.

She previously spoke to the Post in November last year to bravely raise awareness of triple-negative breast cancer and encourage young girls to 'listen to their bodies' and check for lumps.

Doctors shrugged off her painful lump, telling her it was a cyst and 'nothing to worry about' because of her age.

It was only when she revealed that her family had a history with battling breast cancer and that her auntie had suffered from the disease, that she was given an appointment at the Central Lancashire Breast Unit.

Speaking to the Post in November, Siobhan, from Long Meadows, Chorley, said: “My lump was painful and it is a common misconception that cancerous lumps don’t hurt, which isn’t always the case. I was in agony, I couldn’t lie on my right side and it kept growing. I know my own body and knew something was wrong.

“Triple-negative cancer is much more painful, aggressive and spreads quickly. It doesn’t always respond to chemotherapy so can be very hard to control.

"Women need to realise they need to listen to their bodies when it tells you something is wrong. If you see a dimple or lump you should go and get it checked out. It was only through the persistence that they sent me to the breast unit because of the pain I was in.

According to research charity Breast Cancer Now, 47 per cent of women in the UK don’t check their breasts regularly for potential signs of breast cancer.

And they revealed that one in 10 women have ‘never checked their breasts for new or unusual changes’.

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