Brave Naomi carried on smiling to the end (From The Oxford Times)

Brave Naomi carried on smiling to the end

6:00pm Tuesday 14th August 2012 in News By Damian Fantato, covering Summertown, Jericho and North Oxford. Call me on 01865 425429

SHE was always smiling and determined to live her life to the full.

That was how newly-wed Naomi Hemmant was described yesterday after losing a six-month battle with cancer.

The 32-year-old from Tackley, who worked as a market researcher at Nielsen in Oxford, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in January and died at Sobell House Hospice in Oxford two weeks ago.

It came four months after she wed long-term boyfriend Sam Hemmant.

Her sister Jessica Anderson, 23, said: “Right from her diagnosis, Naomi decided to carry on living her life to the fullest.

“Up until the last few weeks of her life we had no idea it was as critical as it was.

“We realised we had run out of options, but even then she was always smiling and making the most of her life.

“She was the most determined person I have ever met and she did everything at 100 per cent and loved life.

“Naomi was always smiling and always put others before herself. She was extremely loving.”

Originally from Surrey, Mrs Hemmant first came to the city to study English literature and French at Oxford University .

She stayed on living in the county, getting work first in publishing and then at Sandhills-based market research company Nielsen.

About five years ago she met colleague Sam, who would go on to become her husband when they married in a registry office in March.

She was a sports enthusiast and a member of the Bicester Millennium Cycling Club.

Miss Anderson said: “They were completely inseparable and I don’t think we have thanked Sam enough. We couldn’t have done it without him. About two weeks after she was diagnosed Sam took her away for the weekend and proposed to her.

“The wedding was organised quickly and it was a small affair. “They weren’t ones for ceremony but she wanted as many things to look forward to as possible.

“They wanted to do something which was really happy and celebratory.”

Mrs Hemmant’s funeral was held at Oxford Crematorium earlier this month and members of her family have taken part in a charity bike ride from East Finchley to the Churchill to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

• Click here to support Miss Anderson and her family’s cycle ride.