Claire Webb, a 32-year-old mother from Worcester, has defied a devastating cancer prognosis after a routine trip to a soft play centre with her toddler led to an unexpected diagnosis. Following a knock to her chest, she developed a swelling that prompted her to see a GP, resulting in the discovery of “very aggressive” stage four breast cancer. Doctors initially gave her just three years to live, but after aggressive treatment, she has been declared “no evidence of disease” (NED).
From Soft Play to Diagnosis
In April 2023, Claire knocked her right breast while playing with her two-year-old son, Teddy. Within hours, the area swelled and a hard lump formed. Her husband, Mike, urged her to see a doctor when the swelling persisted. “Cancer didn’t even enter my head,” Claire said, attributing the symptom to breastfeeding.
Five days after the incident, she visited her GP and received an emergency referral due to her family history of breast cancer—her grandmother died of the disease in the 1980s. Seventeen days later, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. “It was the biggest shock of my entire life,” she recalled. “I asked if I would see my little boy start school, and was told only if I was very lucky.”
Aggressive Cancer and Palliative Care
Further scans revealed “suspicious spots” on her lung, confirming the cancer had spread. Treatment shifted to palliative care, aimed at managing symptoms rather than curing the disease. Claire, a team manager at National Grid, entered “practical mode,” updating her will, planning her funeral, and even withdrawing from Teddy to ease the transition for him. “I loved him so much that I started to withdraw from him to make it easier for when I’m not here,” she said.
She also began a cancer journal and had heartbreaking discussions with her husband about the possibility of him remarrying. “I went to my local funeral home and we sat for hours discussing my funeral. It felt like an out of body experience,” she added.
Remarkable Response to Treatment
Claire underwent chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy, and had eggs frozen in June 2023 to preserve the possibility of expanding her family. Despite the bleak outlook, after just three chemotherapy sessions, scans showed no evidence of cancer. “My oncologist told me I had a guardian angel because this doesn’t happen a lot,” she said. “Being declared NED is the best result anyone with stage four cancer can hope for.”
In November 2023, she had a mastectomy to remove her right breast—a surgery previously deemed impossible. She continues immunotherapy every three weeks and is considered an “exceptional responder” to treatment. “I am probably the healthiest I have ever been in my life,” she said.
A New Lease on Life
Claire now focuses on her health, attending personal training sessions at the gym, and hopes to give Teddy a sibling. Most poignantly, she watched him start school in September 2024—a milestone she never thought she’d see. “Ted starting reception class was the most emotional day of my life,” she said. “I do school pick up and drop off every single day.”
She has thrown away two of the birthday cards she wrote for Teddy during her darkest days, as she was there to celebrate with him. “It makes me sad to think that he and Mike would have had to figure it out themselves without me, but here I am,” she added.
