Daughter supporting campaign to raise awareness of rare cancer in memory of dad

Natalie Oakes lost her father Tony Oakes on May 28 after a short battle with cholangiocarcinoma – bile duct cancer.

And now the 33-year-old is supporting a petition aimed at getting the government to acknowledge bile duct cancer and raise awareness more widely.

Natalie, who is from Beckbury near Telford, said: “In February of this year, dad, who had regular check-ups for his type two diabetes, went to his GP in Leicestershire where he and mum lived, for a routine blood test.

"The GP noticed he looked slightly yellow and arranged another blood test, which came back showing high levels of bilirubin.

"The GP had already warned dad that this could be cancer and that it needed to be investigated.

“Dad was referred quickly for a scan and was told he had gallstones, so had to go in for a procedure to have a stent fitted, however the procedure was unsuccessful.

"After feeling no better a few days later, dad was sent back to hospital for another attempt.”

The procedure was attempted on several occasions but was still unsuccessful.

After further investigation, doctors confirmed that there was a tumour blocking the bile duct, not gallstones as originally thought.

Natalie said: “When dad was told he had cancer, he was alone in the hospital due to Covid restrictions.

"He didn’t know how to tell my mum and I over the phone, so we didn’t find out until a few days after his diagnosis, when my mum managed to speak to a doctor face to face at the hospital.

"Soon after, my previously fit and healthy 74-year-old dad, who up until his diagnosis had continued working, had lost a considerable amount of weight and could no longer walk on his own.

“We were told the cancer was stage one and that he was eligible for Whipple surgery, he just needed to go home and recuperate for six weeks before having a consultation.

"However, two weeks after having a stent fitted, he developed sepsis and ended up in hospital for three weeks unable to communicate with anyone.

"He also developed other infections which meant dad had to be in a room on his own to avoid spreading infection. This took a huge toll on his mental health and it’s these kinds of things that you don’t really think about before a cancer diagnosis.”

Due to his deteriorating health, when Tony was discharged, he and his wife went to live with Natalie and her partner in Shropshire, where he could be cared for by the family and his wife could also be supported.

He remained positive and in high spirits, but a few weeks later was taken back into hospital in Wolverhampton with breathing difficulties.

Natalie said: “Dad passed away at the end of May. He always told us that if the worst was to happen, he didn’t want a sad funeral, and it wasn’t – it was filled with funny stories recounted by his friends and family.

"My dad was a real character, he used to run a parachute centre and that’s how he met my mum. In their later years they lived together on a canal boat.”

Natalie is now working to raise awareness of cholangiocarcinoma and is supporting a petition aimed at getting the government to acknowledge bile duct cancer and raise awareness of the condition.

She said: “Cholangiocarcinoma is described as a rare form of cancer; however, I actually wonder if it is just so difficult to diagnose accurately and early, that it often goes undetected until it is in its later stages?

"Dads was stage one at his diagnosis, and he fought it for two and a half months. It is most common in people over 60 however, there are many younger people who are now being diagnosed with it. There is not a lot of research due to its rarity and currently only one charity for it in the UK – AMMF.

“AMMF supporters have launched a petition to raise awareness of bile duct cancer, and I really want to spread the word and support the campaign, in memory of my fantastic dad.”

People can sign the petition at petition.parliament.uk/petitions/594451.