A MOTHER has paid tribute to her “brave star” who passed away this week after a five-year battle with cancer.

Andrèa Campbell was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia after collapsing at her Roman Way home in August of 2015.

As reported in the Advertiser, a global search for a blood donor was later launched after it was discovered that she had rare blood cells due to her grandfather’s St Lucian heritage.

Andrèa underwent a bone marrow transplant when her father, Paul, was found to be a suitable stem cell donor, and had been undergoing clinical trials at Oxford.

However, after the cancer returned for a third time she was told it was terminal. She died at the age of 33 on Saturday, July 4.

Andrèa’s mother, Beverley, has since paid tribute to her well-loved daughter and the legacy she leaves behind.

“She was somebody who lived for life,” said her mother, Beverley. “She went all around the world, she travelled, she has friends all over. She was just the life and soul of the party.

“It’s incredible how many people she knew and how many people she touched. She was just a fun loving girl who touched a lot of hearts. And she fought hard. She had three lots of trying to get better, but it just didn’t work for her.”

The family’s search for a blood donor took them to all corners of the globe.

From America to South Africa, they also shared an appeal on Asian radio station, before two possible matches from Israel were found, only to then fail a medical check.

Earlier this year she was readmitted to Basingstoke hospital, however her family were unable to be with her due to the Covid-19 situation. They were eventually told she had just days to live.

“We had to listen to that over the phone because we weren’t allowed to be with her,” he mother said. “That poor little girl was just stuck there. She was all on her own even though people were desperate to be with her. It was heart-breaking.”

She later returned home, surrounded by her closest friends and family, where she defied doctors expectations one more time.

“All her friends from London came down and camped out,” said Beverley.

“The doctors said she would die within hours but she held on for another four days.

“She was a fighter all the way - five years that girl fought for.”

“She just couldn’t carry on. She was in so much pain.

“She was well-loved and she’s left a lot of people very heartbroken.”