Our Background

Christopher George Clarke : 26.10.87 – 16.01.06

We were an average family: two parents and three teenage children(James, Chris and Samantha), we were quite happy and all was going well.James had started at University in Liverpool, Chris was studying at Holy Cross 6th form College in Bury doing his ‘A’ levels and Sam was doing well at senior school.

On my daughter’s 14th birthday we had all gone out for a family meal, when my middle son (Chris) suddenly became very pale and went quiet, unusual for him when at family events as he was usually a comedy act with his brother! Unfortunately on that day we had to go home, as he had developed a severe headache.

My husband and I both realised that Chris’s headaches (up until then we had thought they were migraines)were becoming a serious problem.A couple of days later our world changed forever.Chris was diagnosed as having a malignant brain tumour.

Over the course of the next six months he went on to have intensive therapy, with two further brain operations, followed swiftly by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. None of these treatments really helped.

However,as Chris became weaker and I think began to realise that he didn’t have long left with us, I said” I think I am going to have a Ball Chris to try and raise some money so we can research into this awful disease - what do you think?”

he said” mum that’s a good idea I will always be by your side and I know that you will be committed to this”

As a result of this, we want to make something good come from Chris’s life. So the research fund was set up in memory of our son, brother and your friend to help find causes and improve treatment for the disease which so affected him and is still affecting others.

Chris was a thoroughly happy and normal boy, he loved sport hadn’t smoked and was very popular, loved by friends and family, what happened was both tragic and unfair.

It is important that we remember him as he was; warm, bright and funny and look at his life rather than his death.I have to say this is easier to write and say than actually carry out, but we are doing the best we can.

When my son was lying asleep in bed and I had to realise that he would not be with us for much longer, I remembered a conversation that I had had with one of the nurses who having worked with children and young people suffering with brain tumours for most of her nursing career (over twenty years of experience)advised me that there had been little progress, in over 25 years, in research and treatment in brain tumours. This conversation profoundly shocked me, and I think it was then that the first seeds of the idea for a research post were sown.

Unfortunately, there will be more young people and their families who will have to suffer and some of these young people may die before we will actually make a difference. Nevertheless, I think it is important that we do strive to make a difference.

We all feel that it is crucial that research is done to prevent more young people from having to suffer in such an undeserved way.

The Christopher Clarke Cancer Research Fund has been founded for this purpose and is progressing well so far.

This initiative has only just begun but with your help, it will grow in to an important fund, enabling new and badly needed research programmes to begin. At present, this disease is incurable in most young people but despite this, the understanding of its cause is very poor and there is little research ongoing.

Remember, this was the situation in the 1970’s with testicular cancer, then a killer of young men like Christopher, and now, with the benefit of ground-breaking research, this disease is curable in the vast majority. With research and a bit of luck, this success story could be repeated with brain cancers.

All ideas and contributions have been gratefully received and we can only hope this will continue for many years, so that Christopher’s death will not just be a sensless waste of a well loved life; but a catalyst for good and a help and inspiration for others.

We would like to thank everybody for their help and support it has proved vital in helping us with this loss and we are available to anybody who has a fundraising idea or who would like to get in touch. Thanks to everyone who cared for Chris and lets hope we can keep it going and do Chris justice.

I thought that I should add a little to this original information, as we have now been going for a year; in some ways it seems like a life time and in other ways as if Chris has only just died.

Update Februaury 2007

The Christopher Clarke Cancer Research Fund has reached the staggering sum of £43,000 since its inception and this has been due to the tremendous support that we have had, and thankfully, continue to have.

It has taken some time to fill in the various forms and decide on the objectives for the Charity but the forms are now all completed and have been sent off, we await the Charity Commission’s decision.

Once we receive charitable status we won’t have to pay tax and we will also be able to approach larger companies with a view to getting some long term support.
Once we have obtained charitable status an arrangement will be made to see the Professor of Oncology at The Christie Hospital and the Neuro-scientists at Hope Hospital with a view to ascertaining at what stage we can start ‘the ball rolling’

Unfortunately, parents contacted us in October,who had also tragically lost their son Ross (please look in “Our Stories” for more information) from a brain tumour and like Chris he had only been ill for a short time before he died.
The family of this boy (Ross Cooper) wanted to join forces with us as they feel as strongly as we, that more research needs to be done into this area to ensure others do not have to suffer in this way; therefore another group of people in Wilmslow and the surrounding areas are now raising funds for our Charity.

As we need to raise £100,000 per annum the more people who are aware of the Charity and are willing to help and support it, the quicker we shall reach our target.

Thanks to one and all for your continued support.

Karen Clarke