About Claire
| About Claire Walker-Everett |
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Bob and Lyn Walker welcomed there first daughter into the world on 13th of September 1985, they called her Claire Louise Walker! Unknown to them their Daughter Claire was gonna become a very special person who inspired thousands of men and women around the world, and turn into a woman who tried her best to save people's lives. Claire was brought up in Washington tyne and wear with her brother James and sister Rachel, Claire was one of them people who everyone wanted to be friend's with, and they all wanted her to be their best friend, she was loved for her humour and her way of life. If her parent's look back now they should have realised she was different from all the other kid's she used to hang around with. Claire went through her school life like any other child and did stuff everyone else used to do, she got into trouble, stuck chewing gum under the table's had a laugh in class instead of doing her work and all the other thing's that everyone else did, the thing's that made Claire stand out from the crowd is her humour and how she was always up for a laugh. After Claire left school she began to make many new friends which she also inspired, She also started her adult life like anyone else going out with friend's and really enjoying her self, she was a girl who loved to enjoy her self. One of the many things that Claire was known for by family and friends was her unique sense of humour and her famous laugh, the laugh that was infectious and brought a smile to the face of anyone that heard it. The happy go lucky girl that was Claire was also a kind, loyal, loving girl who made a difference to every single person she met. It didn't matter what was happening in Claire's life she never complained and always had a smile and a giggle, she warmed the room and put a happy light on everything... it was as if this girl was here for a real reason, to really do something... Claire's life changed for the better on the 28th of October 2005, she gave birth to her son Alex, even though she didn't have the best pregnancy, like getting told different things after every scan, and then when she did go into labour she had to have a C-Section (which till the day she passed away she thought did this have something to do with her illness) Having Alex still didn't change Claire apart from her smile on her face it was bigger than ever. At the beginning of 2007 Claire's life changed again, unknown to her she began to get the symptoms of Cervical Cancer. She went to the doctors on numerous occasions and was told she had water infection's and was treated with antibiotics, which seemed to clear Claire's symptoms a little bit, but Claire still wasn't happy with the doctor's diagnosis she made another appointment to the doctors. April 9th 2007 was the day she went to Sunderland Royal Hospital with her Mam and Alex, it was then Mr Mcnabb diagnosed her with stage 2b Cervical Cancer, like any mother Lyn was destroyed with the news, but not Claire she seen it as another chapter to her life, Claire rang her dad and told him the news, so like any father he left work and went to pick them up from the hospital. Claire then told me the news, i was devastated at what she had told me, Claire wanted me to leave her as she didn't think it would be fair to make me go through all of this as well but it was then that i never left her side. From there Claire's treatment started, she had her ovaries moved so the radio therapy wouldn't affect them, she then started 5 weeks of radio/chemo-therapy and 14.5 hours of internal radiotherapy at Newcastle Hospital which didn't bother her at all, as this treatment was to save her life, all the doctor's warned Claire that the chemo would most probably make her tired and she wouldn't be able to go out and enjoy her self as much, how wrong could they have been as Claire was out every weekend with her friend's living the life she wanted to live, always centre of attention with that famous smile on her face. After the treatment finished Claire was to wait 6 week's until her next check-up, mid August 2007 was her appointment, she went to the Hospital with her mam and was giving the news we all wanted to here Claire was told she was clear and was in re-mission. A few week's went by Claire's life was complete she had everything she wanted, her son, a boyfriend, and her family, until mid September 2007 wen she developed a pain in her right leg, Claire knew it had something to do with the cancer but was told by doctors it was down to scar tissue from radio therapy, but the pain got unbearable so Claire insisted on a MRI scan, the results showed that the cancer was still there, this was a disaster, but Claire just got on with life as best as she could. She then got told the Cancer was terminal and the only treatment available now was to prolong her life NOT to save it. In December 2007 her father Bob took her to Harley street at London to see if the expert's there were able to offer anything to save Claire but was told she would have to learn to live with the cancer, Bob was heartbroken at the news, but all Claire said was "things happen for a reason dad" she was given new pain relief for the pain which helped alot and Claire was able to carry on her life the way she wanted apart from the Cancer! Beginning of 2008 Claire was to start new treatment chemotherapy, this treatment was to last for 12 week's but to be reviewed in 5 weeks to see if it was working, Claire had to wear a cold cap to save her from losing her hair, the cap was the only thing that Claire minded as it was minus 5 degree's. After the 5 weeks Claire's scan showed the chemo had not worked, her family and myself were torn apart again, but Claire decided she wanted a holiday of a life time. Las Vegas was the destination she wanted to go, so Las Vegas is what it had to be. We booked it for April 2nd for 2 week's. It wasn't just a holiday we also decided to get married, April 10th was the date we set. Before we got to go to Vegas Claire was approached by channel 4 to do a documentary on the new HPV vaccine, which Claire accepted and channel 4 also wanted to come to Las Vegas to film Claire, and also the wedding. (Agreeing to this is another way to show how brave Claire was not only travelling half way around the world to be married but to help save other lives knowing she was losing hers!) She also was asked to do countless press interview's which she did they were to be published after returning from holiday, Claire always said "if one persons life will be saved by doing this documentary and the press interviews it'll be one life that I have saved" It was then that we realise that Claire wasn't like any other person, She really was here `To Make A Difference` We set off to Vegas and we were astounded by how good it was, it made me so happy that Claire was there as she always wanted to go there from being a child. April 10th soon came around the wedding day Claire booked into a spa to have her hair and make-up done, she returned back to the room and my jaw dropped at how amazing she looked i was the luckiest man alive. We were married in the Little White Chapel, Claire looked like a true princess she deserved this day more than anything, we were pronounced Husband and Wife at 3.45pm US time, it was then Claire's life changed again, she was now called Mrs Claire Everett. (AKA Claire Walker-Everett) Days after returning home from Las Vegas Claire received a letter from the hospital saying a new clinical trial chemo was available for her to start on April 29th, this was good news to Claire as just maybe this time the treatment would work and just maybe Claire, Alex and Myself could live the happy life we wanted. But to Bob, Lyn and myself the thought of Claire being poorly from the treatment was always the down side, this did not phase Claire at all, she would just shrug her shoulder's, smile and say "it'll be OK". Her treatment started but this time it was different it tired Claire alot more than all the other treatment did, still not enough to keep her from enjoying her self with Alex and her friend's at the weekend. After 6-8 weeks of chemo Claire had a scan to see if treatment was working I took her for the result's and finally some good news, the tumor was static the whole family were over the moon, but we all knew there was still a long way to go. Early august Claire's pain in her leg got worse and she wanted to go to the hospice for pain relief, i came home from work and took her, the hospice needed to check her blood before they could start her on new pain killer's and they found that the chemo had been damaging her liver so the treatment had to stop. Beginning of September Claire's 23rd birthday was approaching and even though Claire was poorly she was still wanting to go out to celebrate her birthday, September 13th 2008 Claire's birthday was here she wasn't well enough to go out so we had a little party at her parents house with family and a few friends. September 18th 2008 just five day's after her birthday Claire Died in her mothers arm's leaving behind her precious little boy Alex, myself, her parent's, brother, sister and all other family and friends. Hundred of hearts were broken, we received hundred's of sympathy card's not only from the U.K but from around the world. Claire's funeral took place on October 7th 2008 and she was buried in a pink coffin at Houghton-Le-Spring Cemetery. This was the hardest day of the whole family's and friend's lives not only for the loss of Claire but knowing our lives have now changed Forever.
Bob and Lyn Walker's lives are now destroyed, but they now know how amazing their Claire was, and are really proud of her, after all it was them who brought Claire up to be the person she was. And for me my life is upside down but still manage to smile as i feel like the luckiest man alive as Claire is my wife. As hard as it is for Bob, Lyn and Myself we all have to stay strong for 1 more special person, who goes by the name of Alex.
Colin Everett (Claire's Husband)
CLAIRE WALKER-EVERETT. 13/09/1985-18/09/2008
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