Sophie's mum died of ovarian cancer - don't tell her it's taboo
Sophie Fawn's mum died of ovarian cancer - and the Manchester Thunder player explains to BBC Sport why she wants to talk about it to raise awareness.
'I got a lot of one-on-one time with my mum' - Fawns Sophie Fawns remembers her 18th birthday vividly, but not so fondly. What springs to mind is her mother, Maureen, encouraging her to go out, drink a shot, party with her friends, and forget about looming exams. Such a message was not typical of Maureen.
It was "really nice, but weird", Sophie says. Sophie grew up as one of four sisters from the city of Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, Australia. She is 22 now, plays professional netball for Manchester Thunder, and is an old head on young shoulders.
"I've always been quite mature for my age," she says. The 18th birthday and her mother's words are intertwined in her memory. 'Tomorrow will look after itself' was the gist of her mother's message.
On the day after Sophie's landmark birthday, Maureen was taken to hospital. She died the next day, aged 52. Maureen hadn't told Sophie and her sisters the ovarian cancer she had been treated for was terminal.