A mind tumour affected person and sweetness queen mentioned she is “nonetheless in shock” after receiving one of many final letters from the Queen earlier than her dying.
Okayerri Parker, 38, has raised greater than £16,000 for UK-based medical charity Mind Tumour Analysis and wrote to the Queen to thank her after attending a Platinum Jubilee Backyard Get together at Buckingham Palace in July.
Ms Parker, who was topped Ms Universe World Worldwide in Miami final month, mentioned it “broke my coronary heart a bit” to obtain a response from the monarch dated September 5, simply three days earlier than the Queen died at Balmoral Citadel in Aberdeenshire.
“I simply can’t consider it – my title and what I’ve completed for Mind Tumour Analysis was one of many final issues that she’d have seen, so far as correspondence goes,” Ms Parker, from Norwich, instructed the PA Information company.
“Somebody of that stature, to not (have simply) seen my title however seen what I’ve achieved for Mind Tumour Analysis is simply completely outstanding.
“It’s such a beautiful tribute and should have been one in every of her final letters… It’s a bit little bit of historical past, one thing I’ll treasure that broke my coronary heart a bit.
“I’m nonetheless in shock, it’s loopy.”
Ms Parker was identified with a grade two combined glioma consisting of oligodendroglioma and astrocytoma in 2012 and was clear for 5 years having had mind surgical procedure to take away the tumour quickly after.
The tumour grew again terminal in 2017 and Ms Parker, who has educated as a Hollywood stunt double and labored as a mannequin, completed 9 months of chemotherapy cycles this 12 months.
“I’m secure (now), which is a miracle as a result of my most cancers is rising uncontrolled,” she mentioned.
“I shouldn’t be right here now – I ought to have died many, many occasions.”
Ms Parker raised hundreds of kilos for Mind Tumour Analysis by way of actions such because the London Marathon and climbing to Mount Everest’s base camp.
She was invited to attend the Jubilee backyard social gathering at Buckingham Palace to have a good time her work for charity, in addition to the work of two ex-military associates, Damian Todd, a former Royal Marines commando color sergeant and Toby Priestley, a former RAF sergeant.
“We met the Queen’s Royal Guard, (it was) an expertise of a lifetime,” she mentioned of the social gathering.
“So then I wrote to the Queen simply to say ‘Look, I’m in a extremely darkish place with my most cancers proper now, it’s very hopeless.’
“However I mentioned, ‘You've simply made my 12 months – what you've gotten simply completed for me, with out even realising, is essentially the most distinctive factor.’
“‘It’s actually picked me up, and I really feel now that I can beat this.'”
When the Queen died on September 8, Ms Parker thought she had by no means acquired it, till a letter with the royal seal arrived the day after the Queen’s dying.
“I actually simply burst into tears,” she mentioned.
“They’d recognised two of my army associates in it as properly, they usually couldn't consider it, they had been simply so completely satisfied.
“They actually deserved particular recognition.”
The letter, dated the fifth of September 2022, was from a royal correspondence officer, Tara Mundy, connected with the Queen’s “grateful thanks” for Ms Parker’s “form message”.
“I ship you my grateful thanks to your form message on the event of the Seventieth Anniversary of my Accession to the Throne,” the Queen wrote.
A letter from Ms Mundy mentioned: “The Queen has requested me to thanks to your letter from which Her Majesty was very sorry to study that you've most cancers.”
“It was sort of you to let the Queen know of your efforts in elevating cash and consciousness for mind tumour analysis and share a heat tribute to your pals, Mr Toby Priestly, and Mr Damian Todd.
“It was considerate of you to jot down as you probably did… I'm enclosing a particular message of thanks from the Queen”.
The cardboard that arrived features a image of the Queen, which Ms Parker mentioned she goes to border.
“I’m going to border it together with my invitation for the backyard social gathering,” she mentioned.
“Simply to recollect how spectacular her reign is, and simply the top of an period.
“I simply cherished her, (she was) a bit candy, cute little woman… I watched her develop up with Prince Philip, with the black and white photos of them.
“It provides (me) consolation in a method that she’s again together with her real love.”