Family's double cancer tragedy

A DISTRAUGHT family have been torn apart after cancer killed a young mum and her grandmother within 24 hours.

Mum of two Katie Walker (20) lost her two year battle with bone and lung cancer just a day after Janice Barrington (60), died from cervical cancer.

Devastated husband Gary, who married his sweetheart just a month before she died, has now been left to bring up their two daughters Bonnie (4), and Ruby (3).

“The house feels so empty now,” he said.

“She kept the whole house running even when she was ill, you couldn’t have guessed there was anything wrong with her.

“Even on our wedding day she must have been in so much pain, but she still didn’t say anything, that’s just the way she was.

“I keep on expecting her to call up and tell us to come to the hospital and see her.”

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Katie’s granddad, John Skidmore, from Tickhill, said that he was stunned by losing his wife and granddaughter in such a short space of time, adding: “It was such a shock because Janice had passed away the day before and then we heard the unexpected news that Katie had died in hospital as well.

“It’s been a really hard time for us.”

Katie, also from Tickhill, was diagnosed with cancer in August 2008 after complaining of pain below her knee.

Four months later, she had an operation at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Despite Katie believing that she was all clear, the cancer spread rapidly to her lungs and she was admitted to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital for further surgery last summer.

She finally lost her battle after being admitted to Weston Park Hospital complaining of chest pains and died the following day—just hours after learning of her grandmother’s death.

Gary’s dad Tony (45), from Edlington, said: “It was a massive shock. We didn’t want to tell Katie that Janice had passed away, but it came out at the hospital. And not long after we told her, she died herself.”

Gary proposed to Katie at a club in Sheffield and said that it was the best thing that he had ever done.

“I got the music turned down and asked her,” he said. “Afterwards, everybody came up to us and bought us drinks.”

Gary said that he thought more should be done to raise awareness of teenage cancer.

He said: “People need to know that it can kill. We didn't think she would die the day after she went into hospital, and at such a young age.

“We thought the doctors were wrong at first, you just never expect it will happen.”

John, who had been with Janice for 29 years, said that she and Katie were very close.

“Katie had lived with us for three or four years before she moved in with Gary,” he said.

“Janice always thought of her as a daughter and Katie saw her as a mum.”