Louis Tomlinson's Mother, Johannah Deakin, Dies After Battle With Leukemia
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After a year-long battle with leukemia, Louis Tomlinson's mother, Johannah Deakin, has passed away, People magazine confirms. "It is with immeasurable sadness that Johannah Deakin's family said goodbye to Johannah in the early hours of Wednesday, Dec. 7," the family said in a statement on Friday. "Earlier this year Johannah was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of leukemia that required immediate and continuous treatment. We respectfully request that the family are given time and space to grieve in private." Johannah's husband, Dan Deakin, also released a statement of his own detailing the wonderful legacy his wife left behind.
"Johannah was first and foremost a truly amazing mother to seven children — Louis, Lottie, Félicité, and two sets of twins, Phoebe and Daisy and Ernest and Doris — whose individual talents and success are testament to the principles and beliefs she instilled in them. She was also an incredibly proud grandmother to [Louis' son] Freddie. Incredibly selfless, she would always look to put other people before herself. She desired nothing more than for everyone around her to be happy and loving. She worked tirelessly on numerous charity campaigns, creating memories for many individuals and their families. It wasn't uncommon for Johannah to hear through the media of an individual in need of assistance, and she would immediately make it her objective to get that person what they often desperately needed, and rarely without success.
These are the things that made Johannah happy and content in life, and all of which for me made her simply the perfect wife and best friend to face each day with. I thoroughly loved walking through life with her, and though five years was far too short a time, during that time we had so many lifetimes worth of happiness, adventures, and memories. We would like to send our sincere thanks to Professor Steve Mackinnon and his team at University College London Hospital where Johannah was hospitalized since May. And during the last few weeks Professor John Snowden and his colleagues at Royal Hallamshire Hospital Sheffield."
The 24-year-old One Direction singer and new father had a close bond with his mom, a midwife, whom he frequently posted photos with on Instagram. On Saturday, he thanked his fans for their support on Twitter, writing, "All the support has been incredible! Let's do this together tonight," referencing his performance on The X Factor. Close friends have already started reaching out to Louis via social media, including former bandmates Zayn Malik and Liam Payne, and Liam's girlfriend, Cheryl: