Jane McGrath

Jane Louise McGrath (née Steele; 4 May 1966 – 22 June 2008) was an English-Australian cancer support campaigner, and the wife of former Australian cricket fast bowler Glenn McGrath.

Background Jane Louise Steele was born on 4 May 1966 to Jen and Roy Steele, a newsagent (since retired) in Paignton in the English county of Devon. She was working as a flight attendant for Virgin Atlantic when she met her future husband in a Hong Kong nightclub in 1995. They married in 1999 at the Garrison Church and had two children. She became an Australian citizen on Australia Day, 26 January 2002. McGrath was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) on 26 January 2008 for service to community health through support for women with breast cancer and the establishment of the McGrath Foundation.

Cancer McGrath first learned she had breast cancer in 1997 at the age of 31. Following a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she was deemed cancer-free by June 1998. Despite fears that cancer treatment may have left her sterile, she later gave birth to two children who were both breast-fed. She became severely ill in mid-June 2008 and died on the morning of 22 June at her Cronulla home; she was 42. McGrath's funeral was held at the Garrison Church.

On 5 January 2013, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced an $18.5 million donation to the McGrath Foundation from the Australian Government. The funding allowed all 44 existing McGrath breast care nurse positions to continue and expand the program by 10 full-time equivalent places.