{"id":2806,"date":"2026-02-28T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/?p=2806"},"modified":"2026-03-04T15:32:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T15:32:02","slug":"it-took-months-to-get-dads-diagnosis-he-died-just-6-days-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/28\/it-took-months-to-get-dads-diagnosis-he-died-just-6-days-later\/","title":{"rendered":"It took months to get Dad\u2019s diagnosis \u2013 he died just 6 days later"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"507\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22919102 lazyload\" alt=\"Grace Gillen - I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer 5 days after his diagnosis:\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_247742354_1744806075.148-87f5-e1744809496550.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Grace Gillen (left) with her late father, Eamonn (Picture: Grace Gillen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>My <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/smartphones\/\">phone<\/a> rang as&nbsp;Dad was lying unconscious in his bed in the room next door.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Your dad has <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/03\/20\/symptoms-pancreatic-cancer-hard-treat-20492072\/\">pancreatic cancer,<\/a>\u2019&nbsp;the consultant&nbsp;said solemnly,&nbsp;\u2018I\u2019m sorry, but there is nothing we can do.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>My dad, Eamonn, died just&nbsp;six&nbsp;days after that phone call&nbsp;on March 16, 2023, aged 58.<\/p>\n<p>It all happened so quickly.<\/p>\n<p>In&nbsp;November 2022, I noticed Dad had lost weight, but we didn\u2019t think much of it.&nbsp;By the start&nbsp;of December, he got a virus that he just couldn&#8217;t shake, leaving him always tired and with acid reflux.<\/p>\n<p>Within&nbsp;a couple of weeks, one side of his face&nbsp;drooped&nbsp;from shingles. We didn\u2019t know it at the time, but his body was busy trying to fight the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/cancer\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">cancer<\/a> and couldn&#8217;t fend off the infection.<\/p>\n<p>He was in so much pain the first week of January that he went to A&amp;E for a&nbsp;CT scan.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tPancreatic cancer symptoms \t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Jaundice<\/li>\n<li>Itchy skin<\/li>\n<li>Darker urine or poo <\/li>\n<li>Unintentional weight loss <\/li>\n<li>Loss of appetite <\/li>\n<li>Fatigue <\/li>\n<li>A raised temperature and feeling shivery <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Find out more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/pancreatic-cancer\/symptoms\/\">here<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"446\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22920111 lazyload\" alt=\"Grace Gillen - I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer 5 days after his diagnosis:\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_247742421-0cbd-e1744815494568.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>We were told in early March that Dad was terminally ill (Picture: Grace Gillen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The results of the CT scan revealed cancer. Initially, it was found in his kidney, so they took a biopsy to try&nbsp;to properly&nbsp;figure out what was going on. But after waiting a couple weeks the results were inconclusive, so they had to do another.<\/p>\n<p>Even though we still didn\u2019t have a full formal diagnosis&nbsp;of cancer yet, and&nbsp;wouldn\u2019t get one for a couple more weeks, we were told in early March that Dad was terminally ill.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That involved beginning <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/10\/24\/palliative-care-nurse-reveals-5-things-people-dont-know-dying-21852642\/\">palliative care<\/a>, which&nbsp;meant multiple visits from many professionals to the flat to make life as easy as possible. He was given a proper hospital bed, visits from his GP, community nursing teams, and palliative care nurses.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Dad lived on the second floor but could barely walk so he rarely went out. Thankfully, he was popular and had many visitors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"340\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22903760 lazyload\" alt=\"Grace Gillen - I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer 5 days after his diagnosis\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_247521487-a3c8-e1744796685488.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Dad was popular and had many visitors (Picture: Grace Gillen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Then on&nbsp;March&nbsp;10, we finally received the call to confirm the biopsy results and the formal pancreatic cancer diagnosis. By this point, it had been&nbsp;three months&nbsp;since he first went to the GP. It was devastating.<\/p>\n<p>In those final days, he was in and out of consciousness. The last thing he said to me was &#8216;Love you too&#8217;, when we put him to bed one evening and I said goodnight. He must have slipped into full unconsciousness around March 12.<\/p>\n<p>The next day, a nurse told us he was likely going to die in the next 24 hours, but Dad\u2019s best friend, Neal, was visiting a few days later. So he held on.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"646\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22919099 lazyload\" alt=\"Grace Gillen - I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer 5 days after his diagnosis:\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_247742364-1037-e1744814576196.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>A nurse told us he was likely going to die in the next 24 hours (Picture: Grace Gillen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sure enough, Neal arrived and \u2013 even though Dad was comatose \u2013&nbsp;he put his hands up. It was as if he was trying to let us know he was still listening.<\/p>\n<p>We all said goodnight to him, and my step-mum Georgina whispered in his ear, &#8216;It&#8217;s time now babe, you can go, we&#8217;re all going to be OK&#8217;.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Twenty minutes later, he&#8217;d slipped away.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Weirdly, it was incredibly peaceful to be with him. After a while, we all did what he would have wanted us to do: Popped a bottle of bubbly and all sat together drinking, making jokes with periodic tears of sadness.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"480\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22903766 lazyload\" alt=\"Grace Gillen - I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer 5 days after his diagnosis\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_247521446-cc18-e1744796594115.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>We all did what he would have wanted us to do: popped a bottle of bubbly (Picture: Grace Gillen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Devastatingly,&nbsp;six months after his passing, my step-mum found out she had bowel and liver cancer.<\/p>\n<p>Seeing what dad had been through, Georgina made a point to ask her consultant what her prognosis was.&nbsp;As a result, the silver lining was that&nbsp;she made sure to make the most of the time she had left.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the aftermath of their deaths \u2013 particularly Dad\u2019s \u2013 I realise the difference in care between my dad and Georgina&#8217;s was night and day. Georgina was put straight into emergency surgery and started chemo three weeks later.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tGet involved\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p>Pancreatic Cancer UK has unveiled Shoes of Hope, an installation along the River Thames of 797 pairs of trainers, each symbolising a life lost to the disease each month.<\/p>\n<p>Grace Gillen donated a pair with a dedication to her dad, and running partner, Eamonn. They are joined by pairs donated by celebrities Richard Armitage, Tony Audenshaw, Ainsley Harriott, Alison Steadman, Joseph Fiennes, Olivia Williams, Amir Khan, and Georgia Toffolo, all of whom have been personally affected by the disease.<\/p>\n<p>With Pancreatic Cancer UK Charity of the Year for the 2025 London Marathon, it hopes the display will raise awareness of the disease, and highlight the importance of funding research into early detection as the event approaches.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Join Grace by signing the charity&#8217;s petition urging the government to fund vital research here:&nbsp;<u><a href=\"https:\/\/eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pancreaticcancer.org.uk%2Funite-diagnose-save-lives%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CRosy.Edwards%40metro.co.uk%7C1f1f7764faf84d3faded08dd7cc7f070%7C0f3a4c644dc54a768d4152d85ca158a5%7C0%7C0%7C638803920363718023%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=96hMzEoIcHNCQESi8mixc07VHerEsIcftNzwjzYclxs%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pancreaticcancer.org.uk\/unite-diagnose-save-lives\/<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We subsequently found out consultants had told Dad a bit more about how the cancer had spread and he hadn\u2019t shared that with us, but it still felt like he didn\u2019t have the full picture.<\/p>\n<p>Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest common cancer.&nbsp;In fact,&nbsp;over half of people with&nbsp;the condition&nbsp;die within three months of diagnosis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m sharing Dad\u2019s story to raise awareness of the symptoms in the hopes this could save someone\u2019s life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"582\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22903786 lazyload\" alt=\"Grace Gillen - I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer 5 days after his diagnosis\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_247521608-5529-e1744796631981.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>I signed up for the London Marathon \u2013 I know he&#8217;d be so proud of me (Picture: Grace Gillen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So I want to help&nbsp;raise money for early detection research.&nbsp;To do that, I signed up for the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/04\/15\/emmerdale-legend-tony-audenshaw-reveals-moving-reason-running-london-marathon-22880505\/\">London Marathon<\/a> 2025, which has made Pancreatic Cancer UK the Charity of the Year.<\/p>\n<p>It was as if it were a sign from Dad. He was the one who actually got me into running about a decade ago.<\/p>\n<p>So this feels like&nbsp;the best way to honour my journey and his memory.&nbsp;In fact, he actually did the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/london\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">London<\/a> Marathon himself in the 90s, often remarking that it&nbsp;was one of his greatest achievements.<\/p>\n<p>I know he\u2019d be so happy and proud of me.<\/p>\n<p><em>Originally published April 16, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing <a href=\"mailto:ross.mccafferty@metro.co.uk\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:ross.mccarthy@metro.co.uk\">Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk<\/a><a href=\"mailto:Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk\">.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Share your views in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\"><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-comments\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><title>Comment now<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-preferred-source\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Grace Gillen (left) with her late father, Eamonn (Picture: Grace Gillen) My phone rang as&nbsp;Dad was lying unconscious in his bed in the room next door. \u2018Your dad has pancreatic cancer,\u2019&nbsp;the consultant&nbsp;said solemnly,&nbsp;\u2018I\u2019m sorry, but there is nothing we can do.\u2019 My dad, Eamonn, died just&nbsp;six&nbsp;days after that phone call&nbsp;on March 16, 2023, aged 58. It all happened so quickly. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2806"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2806"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2815,"href":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2806\/revisions\/2815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/naturallywoodcreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}