The former editor of the British Medical Journal recently argued that cancer is the best way to die because it gives the terminally ill the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones and find suitable endings to the narratives of their lives.

Rosie Choueka's heart-rending blog posts, written in her final days , seem to vindicate that insight. But Mrs Choueka went a step further: she had the courage to tell her painful story - and that of her family - to thousands of strangers.

The outpouring of public sympathy that was prompted by her final blog post demonstrated that it was the right thing to do. She gave us all the chance to ease her sadness. That, in itself, is an inspiration.