Mum-of-two with terminal skin cancer in race against time to save her life with pioneering treatment

Now her only hope is an immunotherapy known as tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) not available on the NHS at a cost of £120,000 at a hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel. Husband Dan Creighton, 39, is undertaking six “impossible challenges” - and desperately seeking sponsorship - to accelerate donations towards the huge outlay.

Claire and Dan have been fundraising since February but with the combined amount raised at just over £40,000 they fear being on the wrong side of time.

The mum of two girls aged nine is currently undergoing immunotherapy trials at The Christie in Manchester however with the disease still spreading at a “frightening” rate, the pair are giving up hope.

Devoted husband Dan - who proposed to Claire when they discovered the cancer had spread to her stomach - said: “There are so many lumps appearing you can’t help thinking it’s not working.

“They say it’s early doors but time is ticking, it’s getting worse and worse and the goal seems so far away but they’ve had some really good success rates for melanoma in Tel Aviv.

"There have been people at Claire’s stage who have fought it and got over it (after being treated) so it seems like the last option for us really.”

The first sign of the cancer was a mole on Claire’s shin in 2022 however a year after the mole’s removal the disease had spread to her stomach and then her shoulder last year.

In September 2025 medics broke the news that nothing else could be done as the disease spread throughout Claire’s body including her liver and lungs.

Dan and Claire met in July 2023 when she had already been diagnosed with melanoma. Talking about their relationship, Dan said: “She literally saved me - I don’t know how we found each other but it’s the perfect match.”

Dan proposed to Claire in 2024 on her birthday, June 6. That same morning she had discovered a lump on her stomach. They were married on September 6 the following year.

Most recently, the cancer has spread to Claire’s face, affecting movement on the left side, and triggering the collapse of her left lung.

With time running out, property maintenance contractor Dan is desperate to accelerate donations and more specifically business sponsorship through six “impossible challenges”.

He said: “The number six has always been important for us. We met on the sixth, we got engaged on the sixth, Claire’s birthday’s on the sixth and we got married on the sixth so I came up with an impossible six challenge.

“It’s doing alright and we’re getting there but we just need to push it out there further. It’s so hard to get this noticed. It just needs that one big push to get us closer.”

Dan has already completed two challenges - including climbing 15 Welsh mountains over 4,000 feet high in 24 hours and a six-hour ultra marathon.

Coming up are a 20-mile hike over Edale carrying 30 kilos, a 24-hour non-stop peloton ride and a five-mile swim. His final challenge will be 24 hours in complete isolation with only water and blindfolded.

He said: “I asked my wife what her experience had been battling this cancer and she described it to me that she felt lonely through it all, in a dark place, sleepless nights, not being able to eat and in pain.

"So I thought I’d do a mental challenge and this is 24 hours blindfolded with earplugs to put myself what she feels.”

Ambitiously, Dan hopes to complete this one “David Blaine style” in some kind of sealed box on pubic display.

He added: “Whatever happens with Claire its something I’m passionate about and will carry on doing. It’s a cancer that’s not spoken about enough and there’s not enough funding going into it. People don’t take it seriously.”

Donations can be made to Claire’s fundraising page at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/fight-for-time. Dan’s challenge can be supported at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/clairesfightfortime