Help Clare’s Courageous Cancer Battle

Dear friends, colleagues and compassionate hearts,

We have taken the very challenging decision to set up this page and a wider fundraising campaign to help provide critical medical support to our amazing sister-in-law Clare Symington. Clare is our brother Gary’s wife and mum of fun-loving children Dakotah aged 11 and Donovan aged 7.

A campaign that now makes public, what to this point has been a very private illness that Clare and Gary have managed, the weight of which we can only imagine.

The news no one wants to hear:

Following a year of constant pain, and continual appointments at the GP, Clare was given the devastating news that she had bowel cancer on a Sunday morning in August 2022. News that floored Gary and Clare, news they took time to digest, news that they kept to themselves for the fear of burdening their family and news that no parent ever wants to break to their young children, who at this stage hadn’t a care in the world.

The journey begins:

Clare, Gary and the children faced the planned treatment with energy, determination and with an attitude of ‘life goes on’ children go to football, homework’s get done and work continues.

Clare would undergo major bowel surgery, and soon after commence chemotherapy. Treatment which caused extreme sickness, fatigue and pain, although you would struggle to know this as Clare’s attitude and selfless personality, would not deter her from bringing the children to football training, even turning up to her children’s football matches with her chemo infusion bottle hidden in her pocket.

During this time more cancer was found in her liver, resulting in further evasive surgery and extended chemotherapy.

Clare and Gary longed for the end of treatment and looking forward to celebrating with Dakotah and Donovan, that mummy’s treatment was finally over, a question they would ask a lot. This day came in August 2023, almost a year to the day from Clare’s original diagnosis. We joined them in a quiet celebration with the children, although for them, the worry and fear was never too far away.

The journey continues:

Clare continued to experience pain and on the day of her 50th Birthday in October, 8 weeks after being told there was no evidence of disease, Clare received the deeply sad news that cancer had spread to a number of areas in her body. This time, options were more limited. News that needed to be re-told to the children, family and work colleagues. Further surgery was not an option, another 8 cycles of chemotherapy were to be endured.

That treatment has now ended and following 5 sessions of radiotherapy to help ease the pain over Easter, Clare has started yet another course of chemotherapy.

Your support:

Clare is currently on a third line chemotherapy ‘Lonsurf'. However, there is an immunotherapy drug 'Avastin', which taken alongside her NHS treatment can significantly help to maintain disease and disease spread. Unfortunately, this treatment is not available on the NHS, but can be sourced privately.

Having spoken to her oncologist, Clare is an ideal candidate for this treatment and as her family, we are completely committed to making this happen.

Gary and Clare are the absolute legends, they are selfless, hardworking, humble and private, they do not ask for help and support, they try and sort everything for themselves and they would never want to feel like they are burdening others with their story. But Clare’s absolute selfless love and devotion for the love of her life Gary and her beautiful children, Donovan and Dakotah, has allowed us to commence this campaign.

Our vision is very simply to raise £60,000 to enable one full year of private treatment for this incredible person and to hope that in this time, new treatments become available, and this private treatment becomes available on the NHS. Each of us/you have the ability to help and support in whatever way you can and are able to. All donations regardless of amount are greatly appreciated and warmly welcomed.

We will also be planning a number of events that you may choose to get involved, challenge yourself or support, and if you are interested in organising anything yourself, please let us know and we will only be too grateful to support.

Neil & Tina Symington