Shock cancer death spurs family fund-raising

When Adam Sumner revealed he had lung cancer, his relatives believed he would battle on and be successfully treated.
Adam SumnerAdam Sumner
Adam Sumner

But the 26-year-old, from Chorley, died last August, just 22 days after being diagnosed.

His family were still coming to terms with losing father-of-one, Tony Mclaughlin, who died in May, aged 58. He was a much loved brother, son, dad and uncle.

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Still suffering from shock, Adam’s younger sister, 14-year-old Leah Seddon and other members of her family are now planning a series of events in their memory.

Leah Seddon before her hair cutLeah Seddon before her hair cut
Leah Seddon before her hair cut

Leah, who attends Albany High School, started the ball rolling by having 22 inches of her hair chopped off, raising £700 for Little Princess Trust.

She said: “Losing Adam was such a big shock. When he told us he had cancer, we didn’t know how to react. We thought he would get treated. He was so fit and healthy.

“It has been hard and we have all had our moments. Adam was always having a laugh and cracking jokes. We miss him very much.

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“But we have rallied together. This has made us want to raise as much money as possible to try to prevent others from going through what we did.

Leah Seddon after her hair cutLeah Seddon after her hair cut
Leah Seddon after her hair cut

“I have chosen to raise money for Little Princess Trust as I saw a post on Instagram of a little girl with cancer drawing on the mirror to make herself look like she had hair.

“I just wanted to do something to make a little girl with cancer happy.”

Meanwhile, her aunty, Zoe Butler has signed up for the London marathon in April, with proceeds going to male cancer charity Orchid.

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The 42-year-old said: “We are all in shock as we didn’t expect this to happen.

Zoe Butler at a previous Manchester 10K runZoe Butler at a previous Manchester 10K run
Zoe Butler at a previous Manchester 10K run

“He told his parents he had cancer and they told the rest of the family. I was on holiday with my three children when he died. I did not expect him to die. I thought he could be treated.

“We all miss him very much. He was so funny and sarcastic. He was brilliant with children. He was a lifeguard and manager at Chorley Leisure Centre and was also a children’s entertainer.”

Zoe, a welfare assistant at Sacred Heart School, in Chorley, had originally got knocked back from entering the marathon, but when she got in contact with Orchid, the charity allowed her a place.

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She added: “I had tried to enter the marathon a few times and this year I was adamant I needed to do it.

Leah Seddon before her hair cutLeah Seddon before her hair cut
Leah Seddon before her hair cut

“When I didn’t get in, I was heartbroken. I found Orchid on the internet and emailed, explaining Adam’s story and they let me in.

“I hope to raise £1,900. I think Adam would have been proud of me - I think he would have laughed at me for doing it.

“If I can prevent another family going through what we have, then it will be worth it. We want to raise awareness and urge people to get lumps checked out as soon as possible.”