Karin Busuttil’s smile and words of advice will always be remembered. Photo provided by Kevin Busuttil

A Maltese doctor whose battle with cancer encouraged a search for promising treatment options lost her fight on Sunday but still managed to fulfil her dreams.

When she was 19, during a Mass service organised by their school in Germany, Karin Busuttil and her younger sister, Pia Caruana, were asked to write down where they would see themselves in 10 years’ time.

Dr Busuttil wrote she wanted to build a family and become an established doctor. “She fulfilled her dream and she didn’t have any regrets,” her sister said.

“Karin was a caring person. She would find the right words at the right time. At the same time, she was a lively person... a rebel.”

Dr Busuttil, 32, died on Sunday afternoon, holding her mother and husband’s hands.

“Karin’s biggest message was one of love. She suffered a lot, even during her last hours. She would have been more comfortable in her bed but she wanted to be in the recliner when she passed away so that I wouldn’t hate the bed. Her altruism was fascinating,” her husband, Kevin, said.

Times of Malta spoke to Dr Busuttil in January, when she featured in online articles to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer.

Diagnosed with cancer after giving birth to Jethro, she urged sufferers not to give up and to seek alternative opinions when all doors were shut in their faces, suggesting patients and their relatives should research, read and question everything they were told.

Since February 2012, when she was diagnosed, she tried out a new chemotherapy regime and underwent surgery, with her medical team pushing the boundaries to defeat this “horrid cancer”.

Her ordeal encouraged doctors to apply the newest pancreatic cancer research and look into promising drugs and treat-ment options. The family thought she was on her path to recovery but, following an MRI scan this year, she was told the cancer had spread. The couple were told that the chemotherapy she needed could be administered in Malta, so the family returned to the island from Scotland.

When she spoke to this newspaper, Dr Busuttil said she wanted to set up their apartment in such a way that would leave a legacy of her tastes for her husband and child. And, once back in Malta, the couple finished decorating their home.

In the meantime, MRI scans showed the tumour kept growing, despite more aggressive treatment. After a liver biopsy was sent to the US, Dr Busuttil decided to undergo viral immunotherapy but things did not get better, her husband explained.

For Karin, the most important thing in her life was her family. She fought it for us

“She kept trying till the end until she was referred to hospice. Just a few weeks ago, she ordered a pair of socks for Jethro and shirts for me. She kept thinking of us till the very end. She left me a love letter and instructions on whom to contact and what to do when she passed away.”

Dr Busuttil was laid to rest yesterday morning following a crowded service at the Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq church. Mr Busuttil placed a blue rose – her favourite colour – in her casket.

“For Karin, the most important thing in her life was her family. She fought it for us – she was always fighting it for her family,” Ms Caruana said, adding she could not summarise all the memories she had of her sister.

“One thing I can say for sure is that family meant everything to her. And throughout her life, even before she got sick, she always valued little things in life.”