Husband's appeal as he tackles extreme stunts to support Worksop wife with cancer
What started as a simple mole on her shin four years ago is now a fight for survival for former Worksop woman Claire Creighton (nee Brooks).
Claire, 39, had had no previous health issues, but within seven months her mole was diagnosed as a stage two melanoma that was removed along with lymph nodes in her groin at Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital.
She said: "After that, life was going well, and in July, 2023, I met Dan, who is now my husband.
"However, almost a year further on I found a lump the size of a grape under my ribs that I thought was a hernia.
"A scan revealed it was a stage four melanoma that had skipped the lymph nodes.”
More surgeries followed, then more, after Claire discovered a cancerous lump on her back. She started immunotherapy treatment last year, along with the removal of another lump from her shoulder.
She said: "We married on September 6 last year, and two days after our wedding I got a disappointing scan result. I was told I needed palliative immunotherapy treatment combining two drugs.”
Six weeks of treatment followed, then Claire contracted a severe infection with hepititis. After a month she was allowed nights at home, taking high doses of steroids.
In January it was found some tumours had shrunk, and Claire was given a much needed three-month break from treatment.
But in March, she was told the cancer had spread to her lungs, stomach, neck and jaw.
She has been told by Sheffield's Weston Park Hospital that there is nothing more they can offer currently, so Claire's hopes are set on finding a clinical trial that may help, or treatments to support or stabilise her body.
The Christie medical team in Manchester continue to search options for her.
Claire added: "I'm a very positive person and keep hoping. The hardest part of all this is wanting to protect our children.
"I've done gene testing and may be able to have targeted therapies later in the year. The cancer is aggressive and spreading very fast, and it’s scary.”
Husband Dan, 39, a self-employed joiner, is to undertake six gruelling challenges, with a justgiving page to fundraise towards any new treatment that may become available.
He has had to adopt a strict regime to get fit for his 'Impossible 6'.
Last weekend he climbed Mount Snowdon including Crib Goch - as part of his training schedule.
His fundraising page with a target of £25,000 states: "I used to think hard meant a long day, a tough workout, pushing through when you’re tired.
“Until cancer walked into our lives.
“Now ‘hard’ for me looks like watching the person you love fight every single day for more time...so this is me stepping into a fraction of that discomfort....”
Dan's Impossible Six are: The Welsh 3000s – 15 mountains in 24 hours with over 4000m of ascent, a 24-hour non-stop Peloton ride, a five-mile open water swim in Coniston, a six-hour continuous run, a weighted walk across the Edale skyline, carrying the weight of both their daughters.
Claire has a daughter, Hadley, nine, from a previous relationship and Dan’s daughter, also nine, is Phoebe.
Members of the Worksop community who know or knew Claire are lending support, for which she is very grateful.
Worksop FC players are to stage a charity match against Dan and friends at Worksop Tigers football ground in the near future, and The Ticking Clock at Shireoaks has a ‘Bingo Bongo’ event on May 8 to raise money.
"We don’t know what’s going to happen, but ultimately we would like to create a foundation to support people in situations like mine, who have to advocate for themselves and go through many consultations – especially those with young families,” added Claire.
"I want all this to mean something. Ideally I will find treatment to become stable, but if not, this would be my dream.”
To help the family and donate to Dan’s ‘Impossible Six’ fundraiser, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/clairesfightfortime?utm_medium=CF&utm_source=CL