AN Inverkeithing mum who was told “it’s too late” after her cancer spread to her liver has helped to raise £367,501 towards desperately needed research.
As reported previously in the Press, Claire Blair, a single mother of two, had to tell her kids her illness was terminal, describing it as "like watching the light go out of their eyes”.
She took part in Pancreatic Cancer UK’s Double Donations appeal which helped raise the phenomenal sum.
Claire said: “It was an honour to be asked to take part in the appeal and share my story.
"It's amazing the amount of money that has been raised and hopefully it will move us closer to being able to detect the disease earlier and treat it more effectively.
“I also hope that by sharing my story for this campaign, more people will be aware of the symptoms, as this could be the difference between a late diagnosis and an early one.”
Claire began experiencing constipation, pain in her stomach, and unexpected weight loss in 2022.
A scan suggested there was something on her pancreas and a biopsy then confirmed that it was cancer, but it took seven weeks before she received the results.
Claire said: “Initially they said they would be able to operate and that they would remove three quarters of my pancreas and remove my spleen, but I had to have a PET scan first. A week after this, I was called in.
"I was told 'It is too late; it has already spread to the liver.'
"If I had got the results back in the two weeks they originally said, perhaps I could have had surgery.
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“I knew I had to tell my children at this point. It was very emotional. It was like watching the light go out of their eyes and I remember thinking 'Oh god, they are never going to be happy again'. I kept thinking about what they were going to have to watch me go through.”
She started chemotherapy three weeks after her diagnosis and was told in 2023 that the tumour was no longer visible.
Tragically, in February of this year, Claire was told that the tumour had returned.
She is currently having chemotherapy in the hopes that it will give her as much time as possible with her children.
Claire joined forces with ‘Gavin and Stacey' star, Alison Steadman, and former world champion boxer, Amir Khan, appearing in a video for the Double Donations appeal.
The appeal originally ran from June 25 to July 2, but was extended after a generous response from the public and a group of philanthropists.
Over the course of three weeks, the appeal raised £183,750. Each donation was then matched by the philanthropists, bringing the final amount raised to £367,501.
The money will support more research projects into early detection and to deliver improved treatment options for the disease.
Dr Chris Macdonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: “Pancreatic cancer devastates thousands of families each year, yet it receives just three per cent of the annual cancer research budget.
“It has been underfunded and ignored for too long, leaving those affected with little more than hope to hold onto. They deserve more.
“We are forever grateful to Claire, and all of the people across the UK who so generously supported the Double Donations Appeal. Thanks to them we can invest more money into desperately needed research in early detection and treatment.”
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