A dying mum held on to see her daughter complete the London marathon - before passing away just hours later.<br /><br />Lana Freeman, 33, decided to take part in the endurance race last October to raise money for Breast Cancer Research charity after her mum's shock diagnosis.<br /><br />Despite ''absolutely hating'' running and having no previous experience, Lana took on the challenge and completed the race in six hours and 46 minutes.<br /><br />Her mum, Sharon Freeman, 57, had been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer - leaving the family ''devastated''.<br /><br />But proud Sharon ''clung on'' to support her daughter before she died.<br /><br />Just two weeks before the marathon, devoted Lana was ready to pull out of the race, when Sharon took a turn for the worst. <br /><br />Sharon, a carer, from Lowestoft, Suffolk was ''adamant'' that she complete the challenge and bring home a medal. <br /><br />Determined to make her mum proud, Lana pushed through and managed to complete the London Marathon on October 2, 2022.<br /><br />Mum- of-three, Sharon was shown a photo of Lana at the finish line, but sadly passed away in the early hours the following morning. <br /><br />Lana has since taken up regular running to help cope with her grief and says it helps her feel close to her mum. <br /><br />Lana, a finance analyst, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, said: "Mum was adamant that she'd see me finish the marathon. <br /><br />Sharon - who was married to Paul Freeman, 58 - was first diagnosed with breast cancer in in February 2012, when Lana was just 23 years old. <br /><br />In February 2020, Lana was left devastated when she received a call from her mum to say the cancer was back. <br /><br />"It was such an awful time," Lana explained. <br /><br />"Mum phoned to say the cancer was back, but it was just before the lockdown, and we were terrified of her catching covid. <br /><br />"I felt so powerless, and wanted to find something that I could do that could make a small difference. <br /><br />"Everyone who knows me knows how much I hate running, so I thought a marathon would be a huge challenge to set myself to raise money for breast cancer research." <br /><br />In March 2022, Lana found out that she'd been given a place to take part in the London marathon. <br /><br />Two weeks before the marathon, Sharon - who was having treatment at James Paget Hospital, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk - saw her health rapidly decline. <br /><br />Medics informed the family the cancer had spread to her liver, bones and lungs. <br /><br />Lana decided to pull out of the race to care for her mother, but Sharon was adamant that she would complete the marathon.
