PLEASE NOTE: All donations to be made via the specific event pages you would like to support, not via this page. 

Clare was beautiful, inside and out. She had a smile and a personality that lit up any room and made friends wherever she went. She made people smile and laugh through her warmth and gorgeous personality. She lived her life for fun and enjoyment and was always the life and soul of the party. Her favourite place was Ibiza where she could laugh, dance, party and be happy!

She was the ultimate ‘fixer’. If anyone had a problem, she was there to help, always willing to be that listening ear and coming up with the solution, however much of a problem it was!

In April 2020 Clare underwent surgery to remove a growth which we thought was fibroids. They discovered cancer in multiple places which was not what we expected and was a total shock. This all happened at the start of the pandemic and I was not able to visit Clare in hospital whilst she was recovering and trying to come to terms with the bombshell of her diagnosis.

In May 2020 Clare started chemotherapy whilst still recovering from her surgery. After an encouraging start from the chemo, the cancer markers didn’t improve, and after enduring about six rounds of chemo, she started on a new course that was targeted at a different area. This seemed to work and we were making good progress, with the cancer markers all going in the right direction.

This took place in May 2021 and Clare was in surgery for around eight hours. Unfortunately, they couldn’t remove everything they wanted and the surgeon described it as ’sub-optimal’. Clare’s recovery was impacted by more bowel blockages which meant she was at home for only a few days before going back into hospital.

I visited her every day and saw that they were not only treating her but giving her care, compassion and kindness, way above what you would expect or could ever hope for. I will be forever thankful for the way those nurses looked after Clare and helped her through her darkest times. 

The first couple of weeks at home were all about getting Clare settled and working to get the meds right so she was as pain free as possible. During that time she was able to have visitors and had precious time with her family and closest friends, which meant the world to her.  

I will always remember our time at Hayward House and was astounded by the care we received. They told me I could spend the night with Clare and I looked at the armchair in the corner of her bay thinking that’s where they’d put me. How wrong I was!

The next day, the 10th September, Clare’s breathing was becoming shallower and they told me that all our family should come in and say goodbye. During this time the nurse gave a beautiful little teddy bear to Clare and two more to me, one for each of our children, and explained that the bear will stay with Clare forever and the bear the children had was a way of talking, connecting and reaching their Mum whenever they want to. It was so beautiful.  

Whilst I am so glad I received my bear, I thought if this was the last one, what would happen when the next family came in? It was then I decided that I’d like to help if I could by covering the cost of the bears for a year to make sure they never ran out. The only thing I asked in return was that they were renamed ‘Clare’s Bears’!

We had already set up a Just Giving page for Clare and right from the start I wanted the money we raised to go to Fraser Ward and Hayward House. I just thought if we could give something back in any small way, it would be a nice way to show how much we appreciated everything they did for Clare and us as a family.

We were always planning to have a big ‘Celebration of Life’ party and it seemed to make sense to also tie that in with the Charity. One thing Clare loved whilst she was in hospital was a visit from one of the lovely Complementary Therapists who gave her the most amazing foot massages! It was such a respite for Clare and a break from the day to day grind of an extended stay in hospital.

We decided that we should do a raffle on the night and see if we could fund a Complementary Therapist for a year. We were donated some amazing prizes through Clare’s network of friends which included around £2,000 worth of beauty treatments and products and a holiday to Ibiza! We made over £5,000 from the raffle which was truly outstanding.  

From all the sadness and raw emotion has risen this huge positivity and support from people who want to do something and want to make a difference. One of Clare’s teaching friends, Wendy, is organising a climb up Mount Snowdon on June 11th, which over 30 people have signed up to.

Sam, our son, will be taking part in the Charity Skydive at Langar Airfield and will be raising money for the Bereavement team. Not only did we receive our bears but we were also given the most beautiful memory boxes, a pouch with a lock of Clare’s hair in and her hand print.  None of this was expected and meant so much to us all. If we can help other families have these special moments in their darkest of times, it would mean such a lot.  

And last, but by no means least, Vance Warner, a close friend of Clare and her sister Rachel, walked an incredible 1 million steps in the month of March - The March Million! - and raised an unbelievable £7,125 through his outstanding efforts.  

On the day she died, nurses from the Stoma Care team and from Fraser Ward took time out of their hectic day to visit her in Hayward House.  I’m not sure how many patients that happens to but it always struck me that this was a gesture that went above and beyond their normal duties. To date we have raised over £20,000 which is incredible but only a tiny amount when you compare it with acts of kindness like that.

We hope you can join 'The Beautiful Tour' and help celebrate the life of beautiful Clare whilst raising money for this amazing Charity. 

Adam & Family x