Leah Bracknell revealed the sad news that she had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer back in October 2016, and has since been keeping fans up-to-date with her brave battle on social media. Most recently, the mother-of-two penned an emotional poem, which featured the poignant lines: "Take away the pain," and "I spy me a sky full of blessings coming my way." Friends and fans sent their well-wishes to the actress, with one writing: "Sending you a huge million kisses," while another added: "Just perfect & so inspirational."
Leah Bracknell has been writing poems and sharing them with fans on Facebook
The former Emmerdale star also has a blog, "Something beginning with C," which she describes as "A journal of my journey to health, wellness and wholeness, with cancer as my teacher and guide." Leah posts stories and poems to the site, which are often inspired by nature. In a recent story, which she named "The song of KooKuri," Leah included a photograph of herself standing in a field, wearing a vibrant purple jumper and colourful red earrings.
The former Emmerdale actress posted a recent photo of herself in a field
Leah, who played Zoe Tate in the popular ITV soap from 1989 to 2005, appeared on Loose Women back in February, where she opened up about the "positive" impact her cancer diagnosis has had on her life. She told the panel: "I don’t wake up every morning feeling fearful I wake up feeling grateful and excited about life."
Leah discovered she had terminal cancer last year
The actress discovered she had lung cancer after a hospital check-up related to her heart last year. She was with her partner Jez Hughes, and admitted that the diagnosis came as "a shock" as she hadn't smoked in decades and was relatively fit for her age.