Colleen Poutsma, who took on the medical profession over the mishandling of her cervical cancer, has lost her long battle with the disease.
Surrounded by family members, the 48-year-old died in her sleep early yesterday at her home on the banks of the Waitangi Riverin the Bay of Islands.
"She slipped away at a quarter to seven without any obvious pain," said her husband, Jack.
The mother of three children aged 14 to 20 had spent most of the last six months in bed since returning from an Auckland hospice. She had been unconscious for much of the past few weeks.
"This is something that we've known has been coming for a while and I think we've adjusted as we've gone along," Mr Poutsma said.
Women's health advocates and Mrs Poutsma's friends hailed her strengths and achievements.
She shot into the national spotlight last September after revealing on TV3's 20/20 programme the mishandling of her case by gynaecologist Dr Graham Parry.
Her revelations sparked an avalanche of complaints against him from other women. The Medical Council and Health and Disability Commissioner are now investigating around 40 complaints.
When Mrs Poutsma saw Dr Parry in August 1997 after suffering abnormal bleeding, he failed to examine her cervix.
In January 1998, after diagnosing cancer, he took a "cone biopsy" of tissue rather than immediately referring her to a cancer clinic. She bled heavily and had to have a hysterectomy, limiting the options for cancer treatment.
She complained to the commissioner, who found Dr Parry's handling of the case fell short.
The Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal last year found him guilty of disgraceful conduct, struck him off the medical register, fined him $15,000 and ordered him to pay costs of $56,280. He has appealed.
Mrs Poutsma began court action to sue Dr Parry for punitive damages but dropped the case in February when it was clear she was too sick to cope with cross-examination.
