Clive Thompson, 56, is receiving end-of-life care at a hospice in Dublin after his lung cancer spread to his brain and bones. His family in Hattersley, Tameside, are fundraising £6,000 for a specialist ambulance to bring him home to spend his final days with loved ones
A family is racing against the clock to bring a terminally ill man ‘home’ to see his loved ones one last time and be laid to rest with his family.
A fundraising campaign has been launched to secure a specialist ambulance to collect former door-to-door salesman Clive Thompson, 56, from a hospice in Dublin where he’s undergoing end of life care after being diagnosed with lung cancer to Greater Manchester.
After being away for 15 years, Clive has revealed to his family in Hattersley, Tameside, that his final wish is to return so he can see his loved ones again and be laid to rest with his parents and sister at Hyde Cemetery.
READ MORE: Cancer-stricken Brit, 66, fighting for life in India after horror on beachREAD MORE: ‘I knew my cough was bad after mum’s death, but doctor turned me away’
His family has now started a fundraising campaign to cover the cost of a specialist ambulance to transport him across the Irish Sea. His niece, Cherelle Thompson, 39, who is spearheading the fundraising campaign, told the Manchester Evening News her uncle had fallen out of contact with his family here roughly 15 years ago and relocated to Ireland.
He had been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2024 and had ‘got rid of it’ only for it to ‘come back with a vengeance’, Cherelle explained. She said her uncle’s carers at Blackrock Hospice in Dublin recently made contact about Clive’s worsening condition and she and other relatives travelled to see him a fortnight ago, reports the Manchester Evening News.
“He’s lost a lot of weight,” Cherelle said. “He’s a shadow of his former self. It’s still him but he’s very frail and fragile. We asked him what he would like to do. I think he feels like a burden. He said he would like to come home but he doesn’t want to be a hassle. I said to him ‘it’s no hassle’. If that’s what he’d like to do, we’ll make it happen. We don’t want him to die alone in Ireland.”
She explained her uncle wished to be laid to rest in the family plot alongside his parents Salome and John Thompson and his sister Janet Thompson. The family has launched a GoFundMe page which has so far collected £3,321 towards the £6,000 target for a specialist ambulance.
Cherelle revealed her uncle was ‘battling aggressive cancer that has recently spread to his brain and bones’. She added: “Clive’s final wish is to return to [Greater] Manchester to be surrounded by his family, including his nine nieces and nephews who are desperate to see him.
“Because of his complex medical needs, he requires a private high dependency ambulance and a clinical team to safely cross the Irish Sea. This comes at a cost of up to £6,000.”
She stated the fundraising had reached a ‘standstill’ and appealed for a ‘final push’ to reach the target. In her appeal on gofundme, she penned: “Despite the physical toll of his illness, Clive’s spirit remains resilient.
“His greatest wish – and our family’s sole mission – is to get him back home to Manchester. He wants to spend his final days surrounded by the familiar sights of his city and the family who loves him.”
To contribute, click HERE.
