Jane Hallenga is the mother of Kris Hallenga. Kris, full name Kristin Hallenga, was a British columnist and philanthropist.
Her daughter passed away on May 6, 2024, due to breast cancer. According to a spokesman of CoppaFeel, she took her last breath at home in Cornwall, England.
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Her daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 23
Her daughter, Kris, was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer just at the age of 23 in 2009.
When Kris first felt pain in her breast, she went to get her lump checked by her general doctor.
The doctor told her the pain could be due to hormonal changes, something to do with the pill.
Kris was on the mini pill at the time, and the doctor suggested she take some evening primrose oil to help with the pain.
She then had to leave for China, so she didn't think about it that much.
But once she got to Beijing, China, the pain in the lump got severe, and blood started leaking from her breast.
Kris started feeling unwell in a way she couldn't explain, so she went to another general doctor who told her the same thing as the doctor before.
Jane, however, couldn't stop worrying as her mother had breast cancer before she turned 30 in the 1950s and insisted her daughter go to a breast clinic.
Kris had to wait for a long time to get a consultation as she was below 30. Her first consultant told her to come off the pill and return in three weeks.
Only after a mammogram and a biopsy she came to know that she had stage four cancer which had spread to her spine.
Started an organization to make people aware of breast cancer
Kris revealed in an interview that she was not even aware that anyone could get breast cancer at such a young age. She added,
Why didn't anyone tell me to check my boobs? Why didn't I know I could get breast cancer at 23? I am pretty sure my friends didn't know either, and if none of us do, then literally no young person in this country fu*** knows this secret. This needs to change, and I got this wave of energy.
She then started a campaign to make people aware of breast cancer so that she could save thousands of lives.
She started a charity named CoppaFeel, which has three missions,
- To get all young people to check their boobs and pecs regularly so they know what's normal
- To familiarise them with the symptoms of breast cancer
- To empower them when they are seeking medical help
Her ex-husband died due to a heart attack
Jane Hallenga exchanged wedding vows with Reiner Hallenga, who was German. From their marital bliss, they became parents of three children.
Their firstborn was a daughter whom they named Maike Hallenga.
Then, they were blessed with twins on November 11, 1985 and named them Kris Hallenga and Maren Hallenga.
Things didn't go well in their marriage, and they got divorced in 1994 when Kris was nine years old.
After the divorce was finalized, Jane moved to Daventry, Northamptonshire, England, with her three daughters.
Her ex-husband died in 2005 when Kris was 20 due to a heart attack.
Her daughter threw herself a living funeral
Kris had been battling cancer for 14 years, founded a cancer charity, and had gone to several funerals, so she wanted to organize a living funeral for herself in 2023.
She said she started to think one day and asked herself,
Wouldn't it be good if I actually had a funeral before I die, to put my mark on that day and be there to enjoy it?
She then went to her mother, and Jane wasn't surprised at all cause she knew her daughter was always going to do things differently.
Her twin sister, Maren, who always supported Kris, said well, I guess I am helping you organize this thing then.
Kris called her twin the best human you can think of.
One of the people who received the invitation asked her why she was calling it a funeral rather than a party, to which she said she needed a sense of urgency and a real level of importance, so people flew over from Canada, California, France, and other places to attend which they wouldn't have if she called it a party.
The event went on until 1 am, with people giving speeches, performing, getting emotional, and crying as everything was allowed.
She felt surreal and like she was on another planet. She was feeling pretty awful the day before the event, but she felt good on that day.
Who was her daughter dating?
She was in a relationship before she was diagnosed with cancer.
The diagnosis was a bit tough on her as, according to her, she had just gotten out of a crappy relationship.
She had even posted a message she sent to her ex-boyfriend after she visited her General doctor for the first time.
There were many people who suggested her to find a boyfriend after the diagnosis.
She said cancer hadn't made her think she was any less able to be in a relationship, but it just hadn't been a focus.
She was single, but she wasn't sure it would have been different if she didn't have cancer.