Newark community comes together to honour memory of Balderton woman Eloise Allsop, who died of cancer

A much-loved woman has died of cancer, but not before members of the community came together to celebrate her life and strength with a special event.

Eloise Allsop, 40, of Balderton — who was given the devastating news that she had months to live in February — died of cancer yesterday (April 28).

Shannon Willis, one of Eloise’s childhood friends, organised an event last Friday (April 26) for the community to celebrate and honour her life.

More than 40 members of the community gathered at Sconce and Devon Park in Newark to sing some of Eloise’s favourite songs and raise their gin glasses with a straw filled with pink gin and lemon in her name.

Eloise and her family weren’t able to attend the event but they watched it live on Facebook.

Eloise made her way home from the hospital on Friday to get comfortable as the doctors had explored all the treatments and options open to her. The cancer reached her kidneys, leaving Eloise without a viable treatment.

Shannon said: “She was in so much pain but still so infectious with her smile, showing such strength, and determination. Even when she was told that it took over her kidneys and that she was going to be put into palliative care she did a video on Facebook telling everybody to live their best lives.

“She touched the hearts of so many and, with her being in palliative care, there was nothing that any of us could do. The outcome was the outcome and everyone just felt so lost and helpless. We just wanted to show Eloise that we are all behind her and to show the family that we are here for them.

“Regardless of Eloise’s life having ended, her husband Daniel still got the rest of the public behind him.

“It is a horrendous thing that has happened but it is even more horrendous that a man has been left to pick up the pieces. Having the stress and the pressure of everything is horrible so he needs as much support as Eloise did.”

The group also completed one of Eloise’s last dying wishes as singer Adrian Berry did a cover of Eloise’s wedding song with his band on Facebook — and Catherine Boddy also sent her a private message with her cover song.

The songs that the group sang at the park were from a playlist that Eloise was played by her cousin when she was in palliative care.

She added: “We also picked This Is My Fight Song as a community and as our song to her. It 110% represents her. I know that in the song it says that she’s taken back her life, and regardless of whether she lost it or not, cancer didn’t define her, she was still Eloise all the way to the end.

“She never let it beat her, even on her deathbed, it didn’t beat her.”

Eloise planned her own funeral before she died as she didn’t want to leave all the pressure and responsibility to her mum and husband.

She shared with her friends and the Facebook community that she wouldn’t want a wake but that, if anyone wanted to honour her name, they were to go to the pub and order pink gin with lemonade in a gin glass with a straw and raise it high.

When the family first heard of Eloise’s terminal cancer, her cousin, Charmaine Allen set up a GoFundMe Page to help the family make their final memories with Eloise.

The page remains open to donations as the money will be used to support the struggling and devastated family.