Dad-of-four, 50, dies in wife's arms after being told he had 'acid reflux'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A dad-of-four who was initially told that he had acid reflux by doctors has died from oesophageal cancer.

'Family man' Craig Lawrenson died in his wife's arms last Tuesday (January 11).

The 50-year-old from Skelmersdale, near Wigan, leaves behind his wife and partner of 33 years Wendy Hale, 48, children Jamie, 28, Amy, 22, Abbie, 15, and Aidan, 11, and granddaughter Ellie.

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Craig worked as a HGV driver until the day he was diagnosed in August 2021 and a GoFundMe page has now been set up to help give him "the send off he deserves."

Craig first went to the doctors after he began struggling to swallow food and drinks and he was told he had acid reflux, Liverpool Echo reports.

But when his symptoms continued he was referred for further tests after returning home from a holiday to Wales.

Wendy told the Liverpool Echo: "They got us in a room and they told us it was a malignant tumour, oesophageal cancer, just a couple of days before we'd come back from holiday.

"They left us in a room to give us a minute to digest it. We just looked at each other and burst into tears.

"[The doctor] came back in and said they took six biopsies but he knew what it was, it was definitely a malignant tumour."

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After being referred to the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in August last year, Craig was told the devastating news his cancer was incurable but treatable.

He had a stent fitted which allowed him to eat and drink again but in November he was referred for another scan