By Liz Baker

A devoted mum who lost her 11-year-old son to cancer has tragically died from the disease herself.

Kay Westwick and Reece Puddington made headlines around the world after he created a wish list when he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma for the second time. He sadly died in 2014, aged just 11, before many of his wishes could come true.

Kay, who cared for Reece at their home in Whitstable and even trekked to Everest base camp to raise money, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year and died at the Pilgrims Hospice in Margate last Thursday, aged 51.

She leaves her older son Ryan, and daughters Jamie and Nikki, who say she will never be forgotten.

Jamie, 27, said: “She was just the best mum to all of us, and even when Reece was ill she made sure she had time for us all. She could always find ways to make us giggle, even at the worst times.

“She was always there for us, and we knew that. She had the hugest heart and was always thinking of us and we have all benefited so much from having her as our mum.

“To lose Reece and still carry on must have been almost impossible but she did it and she was determined to make him proud. They were so similar, both so determined and brave, and she actually died the day before his birthday, which just seemed to make sense because they were so close.”

Kay devoted herself to caring for her children when they were younger, but after Reece’s death she began to follow her own dreams.

She returned to education, and was expected to graduate with first-class honours from her public health course at Canterbury Christ Church University. She had deferred the end of her final year after being diagnosed with cancer but hoped to return in January and planned to go on to study for a Masters’ degree.

Jamie said: “We were so proud of her, and she was proud of herself. She had been diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD as an adult, which helped her understand herself more and explained why she had found school difficult as a child. She was labelled as disruptive or difficult at the time.

“She learned so much about nursing and medicine while she was looking after Reece and that inspired her to return to study to see where it could take her.

“She loved being a student and thrived in that setting and started to realise just how much she was capable of.”

Kay also came out to her children as bisexual after Reece’s death, and had moved out of the family home and lived in Tankerton, then in Canterbury, where she volunteered with the city’s Pride festival. She also worked at B&Q before studying full-time.

Jamie said: “She fully embraced her true self after that and was unapologetically who she was.

“She told us she hadn’t wanted to come out to us before in case we were bullied – she was always thinking about protecting us.

“She was a real trooper and there was so much she still wanted to do, from being at Nikki’s wedding in March to travelling to New Zealand because that’s where Lord of the Rings was filmed, which was one of Reece’s favourite films.

“It feels so unfair that we lost Reece, and now mum to the same disease, but they both taught us so much and will never be forgotten.”