A North East man who lost his mum to cancer within a year of her diagnosis is backing a charity’s ambitious cancer plan for how the next UK Government could help avoid hundreds of deaths each year.

James Tate, 47, saw his fit and healthy mum, Carol Tate, 73, deteriorate throughout the year between her cancer diagnosis and tragic death.

James, who is a courier driver from Sunniside, Gateshead, said: “My mam was 73-years-old, but she was so strong and healthy.

The Northern Echo: Carol's last Christmas with familyCarol's last Christmas with family (Image: CANCER RESEARCH UK)

"She climbed Ben Nevis when she was 66 and was on the go all the time helping look after her six grandchildren, who she adored.

“But her life turned upside down when she developed a brain tumour. Within weeks she had gone from being active to completely paralysed down her right-hand side. It was terrifying to see and marked just the start of her cancer journey.”

The diagnosis for Carol came after stubbing her toe in 2021.

While out walking with her granddaughter, Carol, injured her right toe.

The Northern Echo: James Tate, 47, saw his fit and healthy mum, Carol Tate, 73, deteriorate throughout the year between her cancer diagnosis and tragic deathJames Tate, 47, saw his fit and healthy mum, Carol Tate, 73, deteriorate throughout the year between her cancer diagnosis and tragic death (Image: CANCER RESEARCH UK)

She couldn’t understand how it had happened after seemingly losing control of her foot.

Over the weeks that followed she started to lose movement in her right foot until she couldn’t move it anymore.

This paralysis then spread to her right leg and then her right arm.

James, a father of two, said: “I’d speak to my mam every day and one night I rang to say hello as normal, but instead of her voice at the end of the phone it was my dad.

"He told me she couldn’t move. I went right over and took her to A&E. I had to carry her out of the car as she couldn’t walk.

The Northern Echo: Carol TateCarol Tate (Image: CANCER RESEARCH UK)

“It was Easter weekend and she was admitted to hospital. Within a few days, she had been diagnosed with a Gliosarcoma and was having surgery to remove it.”

The surgery to remove the tumour in her brain tissue from the area of the brain that controls mobility was successful, and within just a few days she was back home and up walking again.

But sadly, this didn’t last long, and her walking began to slow and she had restricted mobility once again.

James added: “It was awful to see her go through it all again and she was down and in a deep depression.

The Northern Echo: Carol died in April 2022Carol died in April 2022 (Image: CANCER RESEARCH UK)

"We thought she had gone through the worst and were so hopeful when she began walking again, but there was lots of scar tissue and she developed a blood clot. Over time it started to cause seizures. She had a second surgery followed by six weeks of radiotherapy.

“Once again she responded well and by October she was given a positive update and told to come back in January for more monitoring.

"Everything was going well, but a few weeks later she got a virus and had a bad seizure. She was admitted to the hospital to treat the virus, but during this time the cancer started to grow aggressively. She was too weak to treat it.”

Carol died in hospital in April 2022, one year after first being diagnosed.

James said: “We were heartbroken, and still are. She was an incredible wife, mam and nana.

“Through her diagnosis, she was told by doctors that her cancer wasn’t acting in a ‘normal’ way and they were learning from her as they went along. She had doctors across the country talking about her and what they were seeing in her cancer."

Ahead of the next general election, Cancer Research UK has published Longer, better lives - a manifesto for cancer research and care that outlines five key missions to speed up progress in preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer.

It states about 930 cancer deaths a year in the North East could be avoided by 2040.

James is urging people across the region to sign an open letter to party leaders here.

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He’s determined that politicians get the message that beating cancer is vitally important to voters and says the next general election needs to be a turning point for people affected by the disease.

James said: “I’m backing Cancer Research UK’s manifesto. Without the scientists who strive to find new ways to outsmart the disease and the incredible NHS staff people won’t survive this deadly disease.

“There are so many pressures at the moment with funding and the state of cancer services across England, but the politicians must make sure that people affected by cancer don’t pay the price for this now and in the future.”