Deep sadness in Finn Valley as mum-of-four Leanne Browne dies after cancer battle

A mother-of-four in the Finn Valley who bravely battled cancer for several years has died.

Leanne Browne passed away peacefully at Letterkenny University Hospital in the early hours of Friday, surrounded by her loving family.

Late of Curraghmone, Ballybofey and a native of Castlefin Ms Browne, nee Hughes, fought against her illness. In 2022, she received the devastating news that her cancer is inoperable.

The defiant Leanne launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help take her family – husband Ciaran and children Luke, Jodie, Conor and Ryan on a dream holiday.

The appeal received overwhelming support with Leanne sharing details of her journey.

She wrote at the time: “I know what my prognosis is, I do not have long on this earth. This kills me that I will not see my children grow up get married, or become a grandmother, all the things we take for granted.“

A hairdresser and make-up artist, Leanne is well known in the Finn Valley having also worked at the China Tower and Oriental restaurant.

She first noticed something amiss when in the bath just a couple of weeks before her best friend's wedding. She felt 'a hard non-moveable lump' and panic set in for Leanne, who watched her own mother battle breast cancer.

A biopsy confirmed that she had the same BRCA 2 mutated gene as her mother and, after undergoing a double mastectomy, Leanne had 17 gruelling sessions of chemotherapy.

Initially given the green light in 2021, the pain became unbearable and a series of MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds came and went without answers. Until, that was, a fateful meeting with her doctor confirmed that cancer had returned, spreading into her bones.

Leanne was steadfast in insisting she receive palliative care home, but sadly slipped away on Friday at Letterkenny hospital.

The beloved wife of Ciaran, the much loved mother of Jodie, Luke, (Nikita), Conor, and Ryan, dearly loved daughter of Josie and Fintan, cherished sister of Louise (Christopher), Jenny (Simon), her passing is deeply regretted and she will be sadly missed by her husband, daughter, sons, father, mother, sisters, father-in-law Jim, mother-in-law Sally, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and friends.

Funeral mass will be in the Church of Mary Immaculate, Stranorlar at 11am on Sunday with interment in Drumboe cemetery afterwards.