Claire Bolton, from Speke, spent more than three decades working in schools across Liverpool
Claire Bolton pictured last July, just four months before she died
A much-loved retired headteacher died several months after struggling to swallow her food. Ciara Bolton, 30, said her “world changed overnight” after her mum Claire, from Speke, was diagnosed with stage four oesophageal cancer in September last year.
Claire, 68, had spent more than 30 years working in schools across the city, including at St Hugh’s Catholic Primary School in Wavertree, and had also taught for a decade at an international school in Greece. Speaking to the ECHO, Ciara described her mum as “one of a kind”.
She said: “My mum was hilarious, warm and so selfless. She never put herself first. She split up from my dad when we were young so she raised us on her own.
“She was just incredible and I’ll never meet anyone like her. She was such a big character, everything feels quiet now she’s gone.”
Ciara said Claire first became concerned after struggling to swallow food last summer. Because she had suffered with heartburn for years, the family initially believed the symptoms were being caused by an oesophageal hernia.
Ciara and her mum at her graduation(Image: UGC)
Ciara said: “She went to the doctors in July and they referred her for a consultation with suspected oesophageal stomach cancer. She suffered with heartburn her whole life and didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”
At the end of July, Claire underwent an endoscopy which revealed a mass in her oesophagus. An initial biopsy came back inconclusive, giving the family hope that it was not cancer.
But just two weeks later, Claire was diagnosed with stage four oesophageal cancer. Doctors later confirmed surgery was not an option because the disease had spread to lymph nodes near her stomach.
Ciara said: “I was in complete denial. I did what you should never do and I Googled it. It said most people with oesophageal cancer get two years. But my mum died within 64 days.”
Claire underwent chemotherapy treatment at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Wirral and had a stent fitted to help keep her oesophagus open so she could eat. However, her condition rapidly worsened.
Ciara said: “She stopped getting out of bed. She couldn’t eat because the mass had got so big that she would just be sick. She was mainly drinking whole milk to keep her calories up.
Claire receiving treatment at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre(Image: UGC)
“After the second round of chemotherapy, things took a complete turn. My mum was being sick, couldn’t walk and her muscles had atrophied from staying in bed. She went back to hospital and never came back out.”
Claire died in November last year after spending two weeks in hospital.
Ciara said: “I never thought we wouldn’t have mum with us for Christmas. Even my mum kept saying, ‘at least you’ll have me for one more Christmas’.”
Now, in memory of her mum, Ciara is preparing to walk the equivalent of a marathon every day for five consecutive days, covering more than 130 miles from Hull to Liverpool between July 23 and 27.
She will complete the challenge alongside close friends Caroline and Isobel to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
The fundraiser is entirely self-funded so that every donation goes directly to the charity. In under two weeks, Ciara has already raised nearly £5,000 and hopes to reach £10,000.
Explaining why she decided to take on the challenge, she said: “I love camping and I saw Jo Brand had done it for Comic Relief in seven days. I knew I could do it in less than that.
Ciara (left) with her friends Becky and Caroline, who will be joining her for the challenge(Image: UGC)
“With oesophageal cancer, there are no symptoms until it’s too late. I’m doing it with my friends who loved her just as much as I did.”
Ciara said the support of her family, especially her aunty Carmel, helped her through her mum’s illness.
She said: “My aunty Carmel was by my mum’s side constantly. She was a hero. I couldn’t have gone through this without her.”
Looking ahead to completing the walk back into Liverpool, Ciara added: “When I get back to Liverpool, I think I’ll just break down.
“To have achieved that, especially with it being for charity, is incredible – but to do it for my mum, I just know she’d be so proud of me.”
Anyone wishing to donate to Ciara’s fundraiser can do so here.