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Ann McCann celebrating a Westmeath County men’s football team victory in Ireland
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‘Angel’ Ann’s tragic death a month after giving birth
Rare cancer claims life of sister hailed by colleagues as a ‘lovely warm person’
ONE of the most popular “angels” at Highgate’s Whittington Hospital – the nursing sister nicknamed “Stunning Dunning” – has died tragically a month after giving birth to her first child.
Ann McCann, 34, whose maiden name is Dunning, died from choriocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the placenta. The chance of a pregnant woman getting the disease is one in 50,000.
She leaves a devastated husband, South African-born management consultant Denver, and dozens of shocked friends and colleagues at the hospital, where she was manager of the day surgery unit.
Mr McCann’s mother and sister have flown over from Durban to help him care for the baby.
As a tribute to his wife – a founder of the award-winning Irish women’s football team, the Holloway Gaels – Mr McCann has established a donations website JustGiving.com, where people can contribute to a charity helping to raise awareness of choriocarcinoma.
He said this week: “We were both very excited about having our first child. There were complications during the pregnancy but we never in a million years knew this kind of thing could ever happen.”
Mrs McCann, who died in Charing Cross Hospital, west London, on November 13, was diagnosed with the disease only a month before her death.
Until recently the couple lived at Parkhurst Road, Holloway, but moved to Friern Barnet.
Colleagues paid tribute to Mrs McCann’s efficiency and professionalism in running the day care unit while retaining her sense of humour.
Juliana Celaire, a colleague and friend of many years, said: “Professionally, Ann was extremely organised and ensured that everything in the unit ran smoothly. She was also a lovely warm person.”
The hospital’s director of nursing, Deborah Wheeler, added: “I want to say how good Ann was as manager at the unit. She was really valued by her staff, and headed a very strong team.
“She is going to be a hard act to follow and will be greatly missed by us all.”
Apart from football, Mrs McCann’s two great loves were her family in Ireland and her husband. They married in Mr McCann’s home town of Durban in April 2004 and the reception, in a sprawling and beautiful safari park, was memorable.
Past and present Holloway Gaels players made the long-distance trip to join the party.
Another close friend, Bridget Browne, said Mrs McCann was a friend to everyone she came into contact with.
She added: “Whether it was on the training grounds with her club or at work at the Whittington or just socialising, Ann always had a smile and a kind word for everyone.
“In fact, as friends and acquaintances have recounted stories of their memories of Ann over the past weeks that is the one thing that has stood out – her continually smiley face and happy demeanour.”
To contribute to the choriocarcinoma charity through Mr McCann’s website, log onto
www.justgiving.com/StunningDunning
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