A COURAGEOUS woman who battled severe disabilities all her life, “fought to the end” before her death at the age of 23 yesterday.

Sarah Swanborough was not expected to make it to her first birthday when she was born with brain damage, curvature of the spine and epilepsy.

She defied medical opinion to fight on for more than two decades, but her health deteriorated after the sudden death of her 68-year-old stepfather David Dineen last March.

Miss Swanborough, of Sinodun Road, Didcot, was taken into Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital on Friday suffering from pneumonia.

Even when her life support machine was switched off on Tuesday afternoon, she battled on for another 12 hours before dying early yesterday morning.

Her mother Janet Dineen, 51, said: “Sarah had not been well since David died. She got worse at Christmas, and had been on life support since being taken into hospital with pneumonia.

“She fought so hard her whole life. She never ever gave up, and she didn’t want to give up yesterday.”

Miss Swanborough, who would have turned 24 on February 7, spent her first five years in intensive care.

After her first birthday doctors told her mother she would not make it to the age of seven.

When she was 12, she had major surgery to straighten her back, and was given a one-in-10 chance of survival.

Mrs Dineen said: “Every day was happy because she was such a character in her own little way. She was an inspiration to everybody and never complained about her condition.

“She enjoyed life to the full, and was a special star in everybody’s life. Everyone loved Sarah.”

Family friend Ruth Kimber, 54, who met Mrs Dineen as they shared a maternity ward in 1986, described Sarah as “a real mischief” who enjoyed shopping and disco-dancing in her wheelchair.

She said: “Janet has been utterly devoted to her. I don’t think I could have coped with what she has, day and night.”

Carer Sue Jones, who knew Sarah for 14 years, said: “She was cheeky, full of mischief and very loving. My memories will be of her climbing over everything and her lovely smile. We will all miss her. She was a real fighter – and fought right to the end.”

Sarah’s GP, Dr David Ebbs, who first met her while working as a doctor on her children’s ward, said: “When she was born her life expectancy was very short, but she thrived and survived much longer than anticipated.

“She became a Didcot personality, and always generated a warm response in people.”

Mrs Dineen said a horse-drawn carriage would carry Sarah to her final resting place. She will be buried in a white gown sewn with pearls, which she wore to receive a blessing at St Andrew’s Church, East Hagbourne, before her biggest operation 12 years ago. No funeral date has been set.

didcot@oxfordmail.co.uk