A retired headteacher from Speke died just 64 days after being diagnosed with stage four oesophageal cancer, having initially dismissed her symptoms as heartburn. Claire Bolton, 68, began struggling to swallow food last summer but attributed the issue to a long-standing oesophageal hernia.
Her daughter Ciara, 30, said the family's 'world changed overnight' when the diagnosis came in September. Despite undergoing chemotherapy and having a stent fitted, Claire's health deteriorated rapidly. She died in November after a two-week hospital stay.
Ciara described her mother as 'one of a kind' and 'incredible', noting that she raised her children alone after separating from their father. Claire had worked in Liverpool schools for over 30 years, including at St Hugh's Catholic Primary School, and taught for a decade in Greece.
Now Ciara is walking over 130 miles from Hull to Liverpool between July 23 and 27, covering the equivalent of a marathon daily for five days. She is raising funds for Cancer Research UK with friends Caroline and Isobel, and has already collected nearly £5,000 towards a £10,000 target.
'With oesophageal cancer, there are no symptoms until it's too late,' Ciara said. 'When I get back to Liverpool, I think I'll just break down. To do it for my mum, I just know she'd be so proud of me.'
