'Out of the blue': Young dad dies from rare cancer days after marrying mother of his children

2023-05-17 22:52

The diagnosis came after the father of two complained of tiredness, lack of appetite, and pain in his lower back

LONDON, ENGLAND: A young father succumbed to a rare cancer just days after tying the knot with the mother of his two daughters. Chris McGinnis, of Nottinghamshire, was diagnosed with a rare form of bile duct cancer, metastasis cholangiocarcinoma, in February this year.

The diagnosis came after the father of two complained of tiredness, lack of appetite, and pain in his lower back. While doctors gave him 12 months to live, the 35-year-old died from the disease on May 10, less than a week after marrying his partner, Mel, 29, on May 4. Now, his loved ones are urging the public to get themselves checked out regularly and not overlook any concerning symptoms.

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As mentioned, McGinnis visited the doctors in February this year and they found several tumors in his liver, which reportedly couldn't be operated on. The embattled dad started chemotherapy hoping to live another year, but his family noted that the benefits of the treatment were limited and had severe side effects including tiredness, nausea, and hair loss. McGinnis stopped the treatment at one point and by March was given just months to live. Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, family friend Natasha Walker described McGinnis as "the funniest, nicest guy ever" who was madly in love with his wife and doted on his children. "Everything was about providing for them and taking care of them," she told the outlet. "He worked so hard for them. This has come completely out of the blue. The family are devastated."

According to Walker, McGinnis was struggling to stay active following his cancer diagnosis and spent most of his time on the sofa. "He pulled the energy out of, I have no idea where, for that day [the wedding]. After that, it was a very quick decline," she said. It's worth noting that bile duct cancer is rare, with only 1,000 people in the UK and 8,000 in the US diagnosed each year. The disease starts as a type of cancer called adenocarcinoma in most cases, growing on the lining of the bile duct, and there are often no symptoms until it is advanced. Metastasis cholangiocarcinoma is when the cancer has spread outside the bile duct and entered the lymph nodes or nearby organs. At this stage, the disease is mostly inoperable, per Cancer Research UK. McGinnis's loved ones have started a GoFundMe campaign to help his daughters Onora, three, and Nuala, one.

According to Walker, Onora is "daddy's girl" and is finding it difficult to cope with the loss and "keeps saying things that are breaking everyone's hearts." The family friend insisted that the GoFundMe is not only to cover funeral expenses but also to help start a trust fund for the girls in their father's name. "That's all he would have wanted, he would have wanted them to have been taken care of for the future, and to have that time to grieve," Walker added. The family is now urging people to get regular health checkups and not ignore any worrying symptoms, especially considering how quickly McGinnis's health deteriorated. "Don't ignore the smallest thing, just make sure you go to get checked out and appreciate the time you have with family and friends because, in a couple of months, it's completely changed a family's life," Walker added.

Titled 'Chris McGinnis Memorial Fund,' the GoFundMe campaign has raised more than £7,400 ($9,200) of its £10,000 ($12,460) goal at the time of publication. "We want to do whatever we can to take the financial burden away from Mel and to help give Chris the send-off he deserves," the family writes. "We hope any donations can be used to help pay towards Chris' funeral costs and to provide a trust fund for Chris' daughters who are only three and one - just babies who will grow up without their daddy who they both adored." While a date is yet to be announced, McGinnis's funeral will reportedly be held at Bramcote Crematorium, per the Daily Mail.