Wife recalls 'normal' cancer signs her husband ignored for years before dying at 46

For years, Michael had relied on antacid tablets to manage what seemed like ordinary heartburn, but never once visited a doctor about his symptoms.

Now Samantha wants others to learn from their experience, believing that earlier medical intervention could have saved her husband's life.

"If the indigestion is not just a one-off, go to the doctor," she urged others, stressing that seemingly minor symptoms can sometimes signal something far more serious.

Michael always kept a packet of Rennie tablets tucked into his shirt pocket and reached for them constantly throughout the day.

"He probably went through a strip a day, which had about six tablets in it," Samantha recalled. His grandmother even purchased the antacids in bulk so he could never run out at home.

Samantha put his digestive troubles down to the unpredictable hours that come with farming life, his daily pints and love of pies and pastries.

"I thought it was just one of those things he suffered from, probably because of his diet," she said. "I didn't think it was anything that could be detrimental to his health."

It was not until the summer of 2019 Samantha noticed something was genuinely wrong when, at school sports day, someone commented that Michael had shed quite a bit of weight.

Samantha initially dismissed it, but by August, the weight loss was hard to ignore.

"He just said, 'Can you take me to the hospital?'" she recalled. "I asked what was wrong, and he said, 'It's my throat. I can't swallow anything.'

"He looked scared but was very quiet. I think he kept a lot back because he didn't want to frighten the kids or worry us."

At Darlington Memorial Hospital, doctors discovered Michael was severely dehydrated and malnourished, with his oesophagus completely blocked.

Then, on August 31 — his 45th birthday — Michael was told he had squamous cell carcinoma, a form of oesophageal cancer.

Michael was transferred to The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where he began chemotherapy and radiotherapy from October 2019, leaving him at his weakest over Christmas.

"His Christmas dinner had to be blended like a smooth soup," Samantha remembers.

By spring 2020, Michael's health deteriorated rapidly. On the evening of May 8, she received a phone call telling her Michael had taken a turn for the worse.

Despite rushing to the hospital, she arrived too late — he had already died at 46 years old. She says the hardest moment was breaking the news to their children, William and Rosanna.

"One of the worst things in my life, apart from Michael dying, was having to come home and tell them that daddy had died and to see the look on their faces and hear the screams," Samantha said of breaking the news to their children, William and Rosanna.

Samantha now wants to ensure other families don't suffer the same fate.

"If you're a relative and you're noticing a loved one with constant heartburn taking antacids like Rennie all the time, make a nuisance of yourself if you have to, but make sure they get seen," she urged.

"If you see a loved one in discomfort, make your voice heard, even if it causes a bit of friction.

"I know now what a bit of indigestion can lead to — it can lead to your children growing up without a dad. I'm speaking out to save a life and to keep a family together."

Last Christmas, Michael's memory was honoured when his own red tractor led a parade of festively decorated tractors through the local community, raising money for charities including Heartburn Cancer UK.