Elizabeth Edwards succumbs to cancer at the age of 61

Just one day after announcing that she was ending her cancer treatment, wife of former North Carolina senator / Democratic VP candidate John Edwards, Elizabeth Edwards died of cancer.

Edwards, an attorney, author and health care advocate, died Tuesday morning in her Chapel Hill home surrounded by family. “Today we have lost the comfort of Elizabeth’s presence but she remains the heart of this family. We love her and will never know anyone more inspiring or full of life,” her family said in a statement. “On behalf of Elizabeth we want to express our gratitude to the thousands of kindred spirits who moved and inspired her along the way. Your support and prayers touched our entire family.”

Edwards was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. In 2007 she announced the disease had spread to her ribs and hips, saying it was incurable but treatable. On Monday, Edwards released a statement saying she had stopped treatment after doctors told her additional treatment would be “unproductive.”

Elizabeth Edwards was both a huge asset to her husband’s political career as well as being an outspoken political activist in her own right. During the 2008 presidential election, John Edwards forever torpedoed his political career when it was learned that he had cheated on his wife extensively, which he tried to explain as being somewhat okay since his wife’s cancer was in remission at the time.

Via