Our girl, 7, still texts her mum who died after 7-year cancer fight
Andy recalls: “She wouldn’t accept it and began researching ways to prolong her life. Every moment was special, from our holidays to school plays.
“We learned to enjoy simple things like watching a film as a family.”
Later that year, Hayley was put on a drugs trial which bought her another 18 months of life. She documented her journey on Facebook and had 8,000 followers. Then, by Christmas 2015, medics found her body had developed an immunity to therapy.
Andy adds: “It was quite a shock, not exactly the best Christmas present. The NHS said Hayley should put to- gether an end of life plan and talked of palliative care. She refused. She wanted to make it to Holly’s 16th the following October. She said, ‘Let’s scrabble around again, see what we can find’.” After research, Hayley went for immunotherapy at the Hallwang Clinic in Germany, where one round of treatment could cost up to £20,000. Her Facebook friends – and Andy’s football connections – were invaluable. In 14 days she raised £50,000. She had 30 rounds of treatment and it seemed to go well. But, Andy says, the uncertainty was always “lurking in the background”. Hayley also became friends with ex-emmerdale star Leah Bracknell, 54, who has terminal cancer. They exchanged messages, Leah sent yoga videos and they spoke on the phone.
But despite Hayley’s mammoth fundraising, the money still couldn’t save her. She began to go downhill in April and in August it was revealed the cancer had spread to her brain.
Whisper
Hayley went into hospital but was determined to save her kids the upset of seeing her so ill. Andy goes on: “She didn’t want the children to see her in there as she was convinced she’d be coming home to them.
“She was like a wounded animal, protecting her young. The last time I saw her, she had lost her voice and couldn’t speak but somehow, she managed to whisper, ‘I love you’.
“I held her hand and told her she could go to sleep. I promised I’d look after the children, I said all of the things you should say. But a boxer doesn’t give up in the last round. She wanted to keep fighting. When she came to matches, I’d see her in the crowd and she’d always give a thumbs up, it was our little thing. As I was leaving that day, she found just enough strength to give me one last thumbs up. Just hours later, she died.
“I gathered the children in the living room and I said, ‘I’m so sorry, Mum has died, and she isn’t coming back’. They burst into tears. We had lots of cuddles and I gave them cake and let them stay up.”
Andy, now at Sheffield Wednesday, is busy preparing Hayley’s memorial service, where he will invite her friends and massive Facebook following to remember her with her favourite Whitney Houston songs. He plans to