Pierce Brosnan made the sad announcement this week that his 41-year old daughter, Charlotte, passed away from ovarian cancer.

The “James Bond” actor gave the news to People and said his daughter put up a brave fight in the face of such a horrible disease. Tragically, she leaves behind two young children: 14-year old Isabella and 8-year old Lucas.

“On June 28 at 2 p.m. my darling daughter Charlotte Emily passed on to eternal life, having succumbed to ovarian cancer,” Brosnan told People. “She was surrounded by her husband Alex, children Isabella and Lucas, and brothers Christopher and Sean. Charlotte fought her cancer with grace and humanity, courage and dignity. Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our beautiful dear girl. We pray for her and that the cure for this wretched disease will be close at hand soon. We thank everyone for their heartfelt condolences.”

In another tragic turn, Charlotte’s mother, Cassandra, and her maternal grandmother both died of ovarian cancer. The disease is particularly scary because the symptoms vary and are often mild or can be confused for symptoms of a different, non-life threatening issue. Generally, signs can include vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, lower back pain, and sudden weight loss. Doctors urge women over the age of 18 to get a pap smear done once a year as a preventative measure.