Claire Morgan leaves behind her little girl Olivia who was described as her “whole world”
A mum whose daughter was her “whole world” has died just three months after she was diagnosed with a rare cancer. Claire Morgan, from Netherton, died in July from sarcoma cancer – a rare type of cancer that develops in the bones and soft tissues – at the age of 33.
She leaves behind her mum, dad, siblings Jenny, Lisa, Craig, Ben, and Leah and her daughter Olivia, who was described as her “whole world”. When Claire, from Netherton, was a teenager she was told she had a brain tumour, which broke her family’s heart.
Her oldest sister, Jenny Morgan, said: “At the time it was horrible, you don’t ever think it’s going to happen to any of us, especially so young. We were a close family, it broke us, but we all stuck together an pulled together to make sure she had everything, it was a very very hard few years.”
Thankfully, Claire was able to undergo chemo and radiotherapy which beat the tumour, leading the family to believe she was cured, and life as a “normal” family begun. Jenny, 38, said: “When she got the all clear we thought it was the end of it and that we could concentrate on our kids and be a family.”
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At the time Claire, who was an aunt to her nieces and nephews, had always dreamed of being a mum and having a family of her own. After undergoing chemotherapy at such a young age she was told there was a slim chance she could ever get pregnant. But five years ago her “little miracle” Olivia came along.
Jenny said: “Between us all we all had kids and that was one thing she really wanted, was to be a mum. Five years ago Claire found out she was pregnant with Olivia when she was 28.
“They were told there was a slim chance she would get pregnant, so our Olivia is a little miracle because she managed to have her, she was over the moon. She [Olivia] was the best thing that ever happened to Claire, it meant she got the chance to experience being a mum. It was something she always dreamed off having, a family.”
Tragically, around three months ago the family’s world came crashing down when Claire started bleeding from her ear. Jenny said: “She started bleeding from her ear, she went to the hospital but they kept saying it was an infection and kept giving her antibiotics. It looked like she had a stroke on one side of her face because all the nerves were getting damaged, we knew something wasn’t right.
“As siblings we just had a gut instinct and we just knew it was cancer even though the hospital kept saying it was just an infection. They just kept sending her back with antibiotics, but all her siblings and her mum and dad all had a gut feeling it was cancer.
“We knew because she also found a small white lump inside her ear, and as soon as we found out it was actually cancer we were all broken. We didn’t think it would return but it was worse, it was 10 times worse this time, she just deteriorated every day. It was literally over in the space of three months, it was all so quick.”
The family have set up a fundraising page to raise money for Olivia’s future, to make sure they can give her the very best as Claire would have wanted. They hope to be able to take her to Disney Land, which was Claire’s wish for her daughter.
Jenny said: “At first we didn’t want to tell Olivia her mum was very very ill and wouldn’t survive, but she was struggling not being with her mum, she used to being with her mum every single day.
“Claire will want to know Olivia is thriving, there is days she will have a good day and sometimes there will be days she cries for her mummy, she was wearing Claire’s coat around my mum’s house.”
You can donate to the JustGiving page here and there will also be a fun day in the Netherton pub on August 17 to raise money. Jenny said her step mum will also be “braving the shave” by shaving her hair to raise money for the fundraising page.