Heartbreak as mum-of-two loses cancer battle after "the biggest fight"
Her doting husband had almost raised enough to fund life-saving £120,000 immunotherapy at a hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel
A mum-of-two has tragically lost a race against time for life-saving Stage 4 cancer treatment after giving the disease “the biggest fight”.
Claire Creighton, aged 40, died last week surrounded by her loved ones, said partner Dan Creighton, who added “my beautiful wife gained her angel wings after a long brave battle with cancer”.
Dan had been fundraising to pay the £120,000 bill for an immunotherapy treatment known as tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) not available on the NHS.
It was due to have been carried out at a hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The property maintenance contractor had, at the time of writing, already raised over £107,000 by taking on six “impossible challenges” such as climbing 15 Welsh mountains over 4,000 feet high in 24 hours and a six-hour ultra marathon.
Posting on Facebook five days ago, Dan wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that early hours this morning at home surrounded by her loved ones my beautiful wife gained her angel wings after a long brave battle with cancer.
“I think everyone would agree that she gave it the biggest fight than anyone could ever have done. Thank you to my amazing family that have supported me the last three days. Especially last night I couldn’t have done it without you.
“Claire Louise Creighton I am so proud of you my princess - I’m broken right now and I don’t know how I am ever going to cope without you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Please save me a chair up there.”
Claire, from Worksop, was told in September last year by hospital staff nothing more could be done for her after the catastrophic metastatisation of her melanoma to organs including her lungs and liver.
Dan and Claire met on July 6, 2023, when she had already been diagnosed with melanoma.
Talking about their relationship, Dan said: “She literally saved me - I don’t know how we found each other but it’s the perfect match.”
Dan proposed to Claire in 2024 on her birthday, June 6. That same morning she had discovered a lump on her stomach. They were married on September 6 the following year.
Mum-of-two Claire had been undergoing immunotherapy trials at The Christie in Manchester however with the disease still spreading at a “frightening” rate, the pair had been looking for other options in one last hope.
Speaking in June, Dan said: “There have been people at Claire’s stage who have fought it and got over it (after being treated) so it seems like the last option for us really.”