laura

In this blog, Laura remembers her father who was diagnosed with hepatitis C and liver cancer in 2002. Over 20 years later, she found out that he had received an infected blood transfusion when he was a young man.

My wonderful father was diagnosed with liver cancer in June 2002. Further tests revealed that hepatitis C was the cause of his cancer. Just seven months after his diagnosis and on his 58^th birthday, my dad passed away.

My dad was a wonderful man who raised me single-handedly. He was both my father and mother and the glue that held me together.

Every day I think of places I would love to show him, where I’ve been and how far I have come. When I see his beautiful granddaughters I think about how much he would have loved and spoilt them.

He loved rambling through the countryside and saw beauty and happiness in even the smallest things. He taught me to be thankful and to appreciate the time we have in this world. I miss him every day.

After my dad was diagnosed with hepatitis C, there was a lot of confusion about how he contracted it. He had never taken drugs and the doctors did not mention anything about historic blood transfusions. His health declined quickly after finding out he had cancer and he didn’t have much time to enjoy the things he loved – such as walking and visiting classic car shows – before he became too ill to keep anything down or to have a cuddle because he was in so much pain.

Because he still had the virus when he died, I wasn’t allowed to visit him in the chapel of rest because they were not able to embalm him. This added to my heartbreak as I was denied the chance to say goodbye.

When I heard about the Infected Blood Inquiry, I decided to look into my dad’s medical history. The mystery of how he had contracted the virus had eluded me for years and I thought infected blood might be the answer.

It turned out that in 1980, my dad had an operation for a hole in his eardrum which, due to complications during the surgery, required a blood transfusion.

I had no idea what to do or how to apply for the Infected Blood Support Scheme as the executor of my dad’s estate so I reached out to The Hepatitis C Trust helpline. The fantastic support and advice I have had has made all the difference. Amanda was so caring and kind on the phone, and the absolutely amazing Susan’s compassion and professional advice has helped me so much with completing the application and negotiating my way through it all.

Nothing will ever replace my dad. He was taken from this world decades too soon and I will continue to fight for justice for him.