Laura Nuttall: Cancer patient's family moves Christmas forward

The family of a young woman who has lived with terminal cancer for four years are "bringing Christmas forward" because her tumour has spread.

Laura Nuttall, 22, recently underwent her fourth major surgery but her mother said the tumour returned days later.

"We are going to celebrate [on Sunday] and be grateful we have this time together," said her mum Nicola Nuttall.

Comedian Peter Kay, who has raised funds for Laura's treatment, took the family out to lunch on Friday.

Laura, from Barrowford in Lancashire, was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme - the most aggressive form of brain cancer - in 2018 following a routine eye test and given an initial prognosis of 12 months.

Since then she has ticked off various "bucket list" goals including graduating this summer, completing the Great North Run and presenting a BBC weather forecast.

However, her mother said "things feel pretty bleak" after her daughter's tumour grew back within days of being removed.

Nicola told BBC Breakfast: "Laura has two weeks of quite intense radiotherapy.

"We've got one chance with this radiotherapy and we don't know how Laura is going to feel at the end of it or whether it is going to leave her with lasting side effects.

"So we just thought rather than wait we'll bring Christmas forward.

"We are going to celebrate and be grateful for the fact we have this time together," she said.

Nicola is now trying to source a turkey for Sunday.

However, she is intent on doing it all again in December and adding more "pages" to Laura's bucket list.

"We've got lots more things on the list. We are not giving up yet," she said.

"She was only given 12 months and she has been here for four [years] - and I intend for her to be here for many more."

She said going out for lunch with Peter Kay - who used to work with Laura's dad - was a real tonic.

"To have that light relief where you can just laugh and be normal for a bit is really good," she said.

She said he "really stepped up" when he heard about Laura's diagnosis - playing his first gigs in 2021 to raise funds for Laura's treatment - and has been very supportive.

"He comes round and cheers us up every now and again which is wonderful," she said.

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