A GRIEVING mother is glad to know she’s ‘making a difference’ after spending years trying to raise awareness and funding for a rare form of cancer that killed her son.
Brandon Hackett was told by doctors that he was simply suffering with overworked muscles from going to the gym when he visited the doctors back in 2021.
Yet, the pain he suffered with continued to worsen and neither the physio sessions or recommended stretches were doing anything to relieve it.
Eventually, he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma - a type of cancer that begins as a growth of cells in the bones and mainly affects young people - leaving Brandon and his family devastated.
Despite going through a series of difficult chemotherapy and radiotherapy, endless infections and transfusions and a brief period where he received the ‘all-clear’, Brandon died at 20 years old on September 9 2022.
Since then, his loving mother Clare Hackett-Eager has been raising awareness and funds to improve research into the rare form of cancer, which included starting a petition which has gathered more than 50,000 signatures.
“There’s not much research into this rare form of cancer,” the 50-year-old told the Chronicle.
“So I started this petition for more funding - I was amazed that so many people shared it.
“People as far as Scotland got in touch and said their child’s been diagnosed with the same thing and we’ve since become friends.”
Through a skydive in June, she also raised more than £4,000 which she donated to Teenage Cancer Trust.
She’s already planned to do another next year, as well as the Great North Run to keep raising funds.
“I’ll keep raising as much money as I can,” she added.
“Teenagers shouldn’t be dying - they put a lot more money into breast and prostate cancer research but not the same amount into this.”
For her continued dedication, Clare has been nominated at this Year’s Proud of Barnsley, which she admits has made her a bit ‘emotional’.
“I’m quite emotional really.
“I’m grateful that people think I’m doing a good thing and it’s nice to know I’m making a difference.”
Her ongoing petition can be found on the Chronicle website.
