Nadia’s friend previously opened up about her cancer diagnosis on Loose Women in 2024
Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha has said she’s been left ‘deeply shocked and distraught’ following the death of one of her close friends.
Nadia took to her Instagram account on Sunday (December 28) to inform her fans that her friend Hannah Gardner has died at the age of 39 following a cancer diagnosis. Hannah was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2013 after discovering a lump in her left breast.
She underwent treatment but unfortunately the disease returned in 2017 and again in 2020. Two years later saw Hannah informed that she had stage four incurable breast cancer, which then spread to her liver.
Hannah shared on social media last year: “I’ve been hit with probably the worst news I’ve had yet. Progression. All tumours in my liver are growing. There are now four big ones with lots of little spots popping up. I’m scared, I can’t lie.”
Informing her followers that Hannah had passed away, Nadia shared an image of her sitting on a swing wearing a sparkly dress. She captioned her post: “Our beautiful Hannah … Although we knew it was coming we are all so deeply shocked and distraught.
“No need to be brave anymore darling you can now, rest in peace, and all the love you created. You were and will forever be deeply loved.
“To all the staff at The Princess Alice Hospice in Esher ,the kindness and care you showed not only to Hannah, but also to her friends and family was extraordinary.Thank you. #fabfourforever.”
The comments section of the post saw Nadia’s loved ones and famous friends sending their support and sympathies to both Nadia herself and Hannah’s family.
Nadia’s husband Mark Adderley said: “Just so so heartbreaking – a beautiful woman – a beautiful friend – a beautiful mother – just can’t believe it.” Denise Welch added: “I’m so sorry Nadia. She was an incredible woman and mum and you were a wonderful friend to her.”
Laura Dowling wrote: “So so sorry Nadia.” Book illustrator Natalie Russell stated: “So sorry for your loss.”
Christine Lampard commented: “So so sorry Nadia.” Lisa Moorish posted: “So sorry for you loss darling.”
Nadia previously said that she and Hannah were left ‘reeling’ after learning a pioneering cancer drug was blocked for use in England by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. According to the institute, the cost the NHS was being asked to pay for the drug was ‘too high’.
Nadia told The Daily Mail: “We’ve got this young woman, with a young autistic child, with secondary breast cancer in her liver, in her lung, and she’s also supposed to be basically begging for this drug. And it just seems brutal…
“She’s a powerhouse and I do worry about that because she needs to also be looking after herself, but we’ve got her, you know, me and our group of friends are very engaged and there for in every way.
“We’re a group of friends, we all met on a trek raising money for breast cancer, about seven years ago, there’s four of us, we call ourselves the Fab Four and we say we’re holding you… She’s the youngest one in the group and she was diagnosed 11 years ago and she’s been on such a wheel, she’s been told that she’s had cancer four times and she never falters.”
Appearing on the ITV panel show Loose Women last year, Hannah explained how the drug could increase her life expectancy by six months, saying: “I don’t know how long I’ve got, some statistics two to four years, some say three to five, I am 3 years in and it’s scary.
“It’s not a fairy tale, it only ends one way. All we can have is extra time and this drug would have given me that, more time with my daughter… Six months might not sound like a long time, but it is in the world of secondary breast cancer.”
