‘They stopped the chemotherapy as it might make her vulnerable to Covid. But it was what was keeping her alive...’
A COUPLE whose daughter died after her cancer therapy was stopped during the Covid-19 lockdown have demanded an urgent health shake-up to end delays and save lives.
Kelly Smith’s bowel cancer spread after the fun-loving mother’s chemotherapy was halted and she was given just two weeks to live. She died six weeks later in June.
Her father Craig Russell is spearheading the Catch Up With Cancer campaign to stop treatment delays.
He said: “Losing a loved one is awful. Losing someone that young and knowing it could have been avoided is infinitely worse.”
Pandora beauty therapist Kelly, 31, was one of thousands whose treatment was stopped while medics focused on coronavirus patients.
Craig, 51, said stopping Kelly’s chemotherapy robbed her of precious time with her son Finley, six, and family and friends.
He said: “Kelly’s case shows how a delay of days and weeks can make the difference between a cancer that
is curable to one that is hard to treat or terminal. Procrastination may cost tens of thousands of lives.”
Craig, a project manager from Macclesfield, Cheshire, said Kelly was “incredibly kind” and loved to help people.
He said: “She was barking mad in the most lovely way – there are Instagram videos of her dancing around in her dressing gown with Marigold gloves on. She had a lot of followers.
“She would always try to do something for people, helping other people cope with cancer or set up their businesses.
“This is one of the reasons why we feel compelled to carry on helping. Even if we can help save one life it’s worthwhile.
“This isn’t about politics or NHS bashing. It’s about simple humanity. She isn’t the only one who has suffered and this cannot be right.” Kelly’s cancer treatment had given the family hope until the lockdown happened. Father-of-two Craig said:
“Kelly’s bowel cancer was advanced but it was treatable and she was responding well to chemotherapy.
“She was halfway through a 12-week treatment cycle when it was stopped because of the coronavirus.
“Kelly was angry and upset. She went back to the hospital to challenge the decision but the advice was for her to take a 12-week break and self-isolate.
“It was said the chemotherapy might also make her more vulnerable to catching Covid. But the chemotherapy was actually what was keeping her alive. Taking away her treatment was the wrong thing to do.”
When Kelly returned for scans on May 4 she was told the cancer had spread, was untreatable and she had two weeks to live.
Craig said: “The doctor said he was terribly sorry but there was no more they could do. Her liver was so badly damaged she had developed early stage failure.this is like trading lives. Stopping her treatment because of coronavirus was not fair.