How Samantha Jade makes sure to honour her late mum who lost her battle with breast cancer

In 2014, Samantha Jade and her family tragically lost her mum, Jacqueline ‘Jacqui’ Gibbs.

It was only four months earlier that they found out about her breast cancer, and when she lost her short battle, the singer announced the news on Instagram.

“Our beautiful mother Jacqueline Deans Gibbs passed away peacefully with family by her side,” she wrote.

“She fought till the very end with the strength and grace by which she lived her life and will be deeply missed.

“We appreciate your kind words, prayers, and respect for our family during this very difficult time.”

When she was diagnosed, Sam took solace in her music, and she kept writing to fulfil her mum’s wishes.

“I’m writing from a different place. I have been focusing on making sure I’ve been working hard because my mum would not want it any other way,” she told Now To Love.

Sam recalled her mum had said, “Don’t stop doing your music.”

This year, the former X Factor contestant is competing on Celebrity Apprentice, and she has chosen Cancer Council for her charity.

It’s one of the many ways she has paid tribute to her mum.

During another chat with Now To Love, she shared how her family keep Jacqui in their hearts at Christmas time.

“We always have a moment,” she said. “And I think every big event, especially Christmas, is the time of family and love, and especially your Mum, so it’s tough every year, and it’s something that always is very… it’s the big moment of the day, realising she’s not there.”

Even though it’s endlessly difficult facing loss, the 35-year-old explained they like to keep “tears to a minimum.”

“We always take a second, and then we can hear Mum going ‘enjoy your day, get on with it, enjoy it’, so we try and keep it to a minimum,” said the reality star.

In the years since her passing, Sam has been planning a wedding after getting engaged in 2019 to Pat Handlin. Although it’s faced multiple cancellations over the years due to Perth’s strict COVID restrictions, she has already planned a touching tribute for her mum.

She told Now To Love about her heartwarming plans.

“I actually asked my dad the other day if he has her wedding dress, I thought that could be something special.

“I definitely want to pay tribute to my mum in some way… I think that will be important,” she added.

On June 8, 2021, Sam penned an emotional story about her mum after coming across a photo she had taken of her while studying photography.

Alongside the picture, she shared on Instagram, “It’s only fitting she is holding a coffee cup because that was one of our favourite things to do together, go for a coffee.

“So simple yet we would laugh, cry, plan and solve all the problems of the world within a few hours of having coffee together and anyone that knew my mum would say after having a coffee with her you would feel like you could conquer the world. She was special that way.

Samantha said her mother had a “gift” for building up the confidence of others.

“It’s been 7 years since I’ve had one of those coffees with my Mumma something I miss everyday but I am so grateful for all the ones we did have and will always remember the many pearls of wisdom she gave me 💜,” she wrote.