THE last surviving member of a campaigning trio who fought for access to a life-prolonging drug has died.

Cowling woman Janice Wrigglesworth, 70, was the last surviving member of the Velcade Three. She died in Airedale Hospital on October 9, aged 70.

She and the late Jacky Pickles and Marie Morton all had multiple myeloma, an incurable and debilitating cancer of the plasma cells which are found in the bone marrow and are responsible for guarding against viruses and infection.

When these women realised drugs rationing body NICE was denying the drug Velcade to the myeloma community, they were devastated as the drug had proved successful in clinical trials in the UK, and was in use in America.

They responded by successfully lobbying, fundraising and generating awareness to get this cancer medication made available to patients on the NHS.

Mr Wrigglesworth said his wife had first been diagnosed in 2002 and had fought recurring bouts of illness while undergoing courses of chemotherapy and two separate stem cell transplants.

"The campaigning was hard for Janice, Jacky and Marie because they were poorly women to start with," he added.

"But they spurred each other on and supported each other.

"They went to the Labour Party Conference and heckled [Secretary of State for Health] Patricia Hewitt.

"They had their own website, collected money at supermarkets and organised a ball to raise funds to take on NICE.

"It was tough on all of them, but when they found out they'd achieved most of what they'd fought for they were chuffed to bits."

In recognition of their efforts The Velcade Three ladies were honoured with the Richard Whiteley Special Award at the Annual Yorkshire Awards in 2007.

In 2010, once their fight had been successful, they handed over £25,000 worth of proceeds of their campaigning to a number of good causes, including a sum of £18,000 to Myeloma UK, £5,000 to the Haematology and Oncology Day Unit at Airedale Hospital and £2,000 to Sue Ryder Manorlands.

Mrs Wrigglesworth was born Janice Huggit and was originally from Cross Hills.

She and her future husband first met when they were 15 and he was working in a Cross Hills butcher's shop.

The couple married in 1968. Mrs Wrigglesworth used to work as a hairdresser and later did the paperwork for her husband's delivery business.

She and her husband lived in Cowling for the last 35 years.

As well as her husband, Mrs Wrigglesworth leaves three children, Neil, Nathan and Katherine, and four grandchildren.

Her funeral service will be at Kildwick's St Andrew's Church at 11.30am on Tuesday October 24. All are welcome to attend the event, which will also include a collection for Manorlands.