Karen Rhodes, from Cramlington, has shared her heartbreak after she and her husband Clive were both diagnosed with bowel cancer at the same time. Clive tragically passed away from the disease six weeks ago, while Karen continues her own treatment. The couple married on March 19, 2022, but less than a year later, in January 2023, Clive became unwell and was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He underwent an eight-hour operation, and the family believed all was well. However, a year ago, doctors suspected the cancer had spread, and further tests confirmed it.
Devastating Diagnosis for Both
The week before Christmas 2025, Karen received the devastating news that she too had bowel cancer. In January 2026, she was told it had spread to her liver and was inoperable due to the size of the growth. “I was told the average life expectancy for this kind of diagnosis was 12 months,” Karen said. “My reply was, well it's a good job I'm not average! Our Oncologist has only ever had one other case where husband and wife have had the same diagnosis at the same time. Not a club I wanted to be in but we are where we are.”
While awaiting Clive’s results in summer 2025, the couple visited Rhodes. “It was an absolutely fantastic holiday but when we got back we got notified that it had spread to his liver so they started him on some new chemo until December,” Karen told ChronicleLive. After a break in Clive's chemo, “things all went downhill so very quickly.”
Final Days and Support
Recalling the last year, the couple had visited Karen’s eldest daughter's wedding venue ahead of her marriage in August this year. “We'd had a lovely morning there and then we came back and by this point Clive was having a little nap every day in the middle of the day so I thought nothing of it,” Karen explained. “I came in and he was shivering so I had to get him to Cramlington Hospital where they said he was jaundiced and his liver wasn't functioning properly.” Clive was fitted with a stent but never recuperated. “He was really breathless and couldn't walk very far at all, and that’s what we did. We love our beach walks. Part of our wedding was pictures on South Beach of Blyth. So to not be able to walk far was quite something for him to come to terms with.”
“The nurses were phenomenal, they were so caring. But he never came around from that. It was just a matter of when, and fortunately, it wasn't long.” Clive passed away in the hospital aged 67 on May 13. On the same day, Karen was due to have chemo. “I went along because it’s what Clive would have wanted. They did offer to delay it, but I said I'm still going to feel pretty rubbish in a week or two weeks so I might as well keep on top.”
Different Symptoms and Stomas
Despite both being diagnosed, the couple had completely different symptoms. Karen explained that while Clive had a family history of cancer, she experienced stomach aches. Both were given stomas, which the couple named. “He'd already called his stoma Stan, and so I had to call mine Hilda because my maiden name was Ogden and Coronation Street had characters called Stan and Hilda Ogden back in the day.”
Reflecting on her own journey, Karen said: “The chemo that I'm on is pretty aggressive... but my last scan showed it’s not grown so that's what I was told is a positive. Clive is 13 years older than me and we’d always joked he would go first. So when I got diagnosed and it was potentially not going to be that way around, that messed with his head.” “It's tough but you've got no alternative, you have to fight. Love him to bits but sorry, Clive, I ain't joining you just yet pal, I've got too much living to do.”
Fundraiser for Newcastle Hospitals Charity
The mother to two daughters, Lyndsey and Emily, aged 29 and 27, said she has been inundated with support. “They've been absolutely amazing. I couldn’t have gotten through it without them. We moved up here nine years ago from Boston in Lincolnshire, and I've had so many friends just come up and be with me. I'm very lucky, so many great friends, great family.” Following Clive’s passing, the family held a barbeque for him on what would have been his 68th birthday on June 16 “because that's what he loved.” A celebration of his life has been planned at The Blagdon Arms in Cramlington on July 4, per his wishes.
A JustGiving fundraiser for Newcastle Hospitals Charity and The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has been launched in memory of Clive to support the care both received, including treatments at the Freeman Hospital. “As a family we've decided that it can't all be in vain. So if we can just raise a little bit of money to say thank you,” Karen added.
