London mum who ‘always carried a smile’ during cancer battle dies days before her youngest son’s second birthday

A young mum who always cared about others tragically died from cancer leaving behind two young sons. Trishana Latham was loved by everyone for her genuine spirit and drive to help people.

The 26-year-old from Enfield had big dreams of one day buying her own land in Jamaica and opening up her own community school. She had a degree in social work and helping children to give them a future was her passion. She had two sons, a ‘blessing’, considering she struggled to get pregnant due to suffering from polycystic ovaries

In 2021, when she was pregnant with her second child, doctors discovered a lump on her breast. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. Doctors told her it would be best for her to terminate the pregnancy so they could start treatment but she was determined to have the baby due to how hard it was for her to get pregnant. She had an early pregnancy after having a mastectomy on one of her breasts and then started her dose of chemotherapy.

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Trishana’s best friend Iya remembers her fortitude in not letting her diagnosis stop her from celebrating when the time came. Iya Martin told MyLondon: “In October last year she was given the all-clear from cancer and that she was in remission. We had a party and were celebrating her as well as her son whose birthday was around the same time.

“She even dressed up as a dinosaur for him, everybody was having fun. Then, we even planned a trip ourselves because everything seemed good.”

Unfortunately, in February this year, Trishana started experiencing headaches that were on and off. When she mentioned it to her oncologist, they schedule a scan. The scan revealed that the cancer had spread to her brain.

Iya continued: “Trishana again put her soldier cap on and was ready for the mission. Trishana carried a smile regardless and her good energy was infectious. When she told me about the headaches, I was so worried and hoping that it hadn’t gone to the brain. She called me around after the scan and told me, it was so emotional.

“Initially when she got her diagnosis, she was given five years to live. Then by March, we found out it was in her brain. By June, she was gone.”

Trishana sadly died on June 5 after her condition started to deteriorate. Even while battling cancer, she was still talking about her plans to go back to Jamaica and show it to her kids. She had dreams of eating a mango from her own mango tree She had cancer but you would never think that because ‘she never complained’. She still had a smile on her face even while going through what she was going through.

To honour her, Iya has set up a Gofundme to give Trishana a bit of her dream by bringing Jamaica to her. As a way to give her the send-off she deserves, Iya hopes to raise enough to give her a fitting burial.

She said: “Triahsna always said when she dies, she wants to be buried under a mango tree. Sadly, we won’t be able to do that in London but we hope to be able to get a mango plant and put that next to her grave. If we buried her in Jamaica then her mum and sons wouldn’t be able to visit her so it would be better to have her buried in London so even if her physical self isn’t here, knowing her spirit and grave would be nice.

“She truly was one of the best people. She had such an old soul and yet she was only 26. She was amazing. We used to run a women’s meeting group and she’d always be helpful and supportive. Doing this Gofundme is my way of trying to give back to her for all she did in her short life.

“We hope that we can raise enough to give her a send-off and then help invest in her children’s futures. She was such a breath of fresh air. When I told people she passed people couldn’t believe it because she never showed it. We spoke three or four times a day about anything and I will miss that but I know her spirit will still be around me.”

You can donate to the Gofundme here.

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