Former Arsenal, Chelsea and England footballer passes away from brain tumour as tributes flood in
Amy Carr, the former England youth international goalkeeper who represented Arsenal, Chelsea and Reading during her playing career, has passed away at the age of 35 following a prolonged fight against a brain tumour.
Brain Tumour Research confirmed the news on social media earlier today.
They paid tribute to the footballer who earned 16 caps for England at the youth level, progressing through to the Under-19s.
Carr received her diagnosis of a high-grade brain tumour back in 2015.
In the years that followed, she demonstrated remarkable resilience, becoming an advocate for brain tumour awareness and research funding.
The discovery of her illness came after Carr blacked out after seeing a spider, an extreme reaction that prompted her to seek medical attention.
An MRI scan subsequently revealed a tumour the size of a golf ball.
She told the BBC at the time: “I knew I didn’t like spiders, but blacking out seemed like an extreme response. I’d never reacted that way to anything before.”
Amy Carr has passed away at the age of 35
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Brain_tumour_research/Instagram
Doctors performed a craniotomy to remove as much of the growth as possible.
The procedure left Carr unable to walk or speak for eight days afterwards.
She then underwent radiotherapy, chemotherapy and extensive physiotherapy to regain her mobility and speech.
Despite the severity of her condition, Carr achieved something extraordinary in 2024 by completing the Dublin Marathon on behalf of Brain Tumour Research.
Brain Tumour Research confirmed the news on social media earlier today
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GETTY
Her efforts generated £28,718 in donations to support vital research into the disease.
The accomplishment was all the more remarkable given the treatment she had endured in the years prior.
The tumour she battled was a grade four astrocytoma, and she had believed herself recovered until experiencing blurred vision and slurred speech following a routine check-up in 2024.
Doctors then delivered devastating news that the tumour had returned, and her illness was terminal.
She was given between six and nine months to live.
Brain Tumour Research paid tribute to Carr in a statement, saying: “Amy showed incredible strength and determination after being diagnosed with a high-grade brain tumour in 2015.”
The charity added: “Our thoughts are with Amy’s family, friends and everyone who loved her. We are so grateful for the awareness she raised and the difference she made.”
A celebration of Carr’s life will take place on March 23 in Hertfordshire.
A JustGiving page remains open for those wishing to donate to brain tumour research in her memory.
