33-year-old mother dies months after being told she had an ‘ear infection’

Claire Morgan leaves behind her little daughter Olivia, who was described as her “whole world”

A mother whose daughter was her “whole world” has died just three months after being 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 mother, father, siblings Jenny, Lisa, Craig, Ben and Leah, and daughter Olivia, who was described as her “whole world”. When Claire, from Netherton, was a teenager, she was told she had a brain tumour, breaking her family’s hearts.

Her eldest sister, Jenny Morgan, said: “It was horrible at the time. You never thought something like that would happen to any of us, especially when you’re so young. We were a close family, it was devastating, but we all stuck together and made sure she had everything. It was a very, very tough few years.”

Fortunately, Claire was able to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy which beat the tumour, so the family believed she was cured and life as a ‘normal’ family could begin. Jenny, 38, said: “When she got the green light we thought it was the end and we could concentrate on our children and being a family.”

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At the time, Claire, who was an aunt to her nieces and nephews, had always dreamed of becoming a mother and having a family of her own. After undergoing chemotherapy at such a young age, she was told that the chances of ever becoming pregnant were slim. But five years ago, her “little miracle” Olivia was born.

Jenny said: ‘We all had children and that was the only thing she really wanted: to be a mother. Five years ago, at 28, Claire found out she was pregnant with Olivia.

“They were told that the chance of her getting pregnant was slim. So our Olivia is a small miracle because she managed to get it. She was overjoyed. She [Olivia] was the best thing that ever happened to Claire. It meant she could experience being a mother. It was something she had always dreamed of, having a family.”

Tragically, about three months ago, the family’s world fell apart when Claire’s ear began to bleed. Jenny said: “She started bleeding from her ear, she went to hospital but they kept saying it was an infection and kept giving her antibiotics. It looked like she had had a stroke on one side of her face because all the nerves were damaged, we knew something was wrong.”

“As siblings, we just had a gut feeling and knew it was cancer, even though the hospital kept saying it was just an infection. They kept sending her back with antibiotics, but all of her siblings and her mom and dad had a gut feeling it was cancer.

“We knew because she also discovered a small white lump in her ear and when we found out it was actually cancer we were all devastated. We didn’t think it would come back but it was worse, this time it was ten times worse, her condition just got worse day by day. It was literally over within three months, it all happened so quickly.”

The family has set up a fundraising page to raise money for Olivia’s future so they can give her the very best that Claire would have wanted. They hope to take her to Disneyland, which was Claire’s wish for her daughter.

Jenny said: “At first we didn’t want to tell Olivia that her mother was very, very ill and would not survive, but she found it difficult not being with her mother. She was used to being with her mother every day.

“Claire will want to know that Olivia is OK. There are days when she has a good day and sometimes there are days when she cries for her mom. She wore Claire’s coat at my mom’s house.”

You can donate on the JustGiving page here. There will also be a fun day at the Netherton Pub on August 17 to raise money. Jenny said her stepmum will also be “going for a shave” and shaving off her hair to raise money for the fundraising page.