People: Calderdale mum given months to live joins Chris Kamara taking law-change fight to Downing Street

Tammy Prescott joined TV presenter and football pundit Chris Kamara and other campaigners in handing over a petition to Number 10 calling for changes to stop people like her dying in poverty.

As reported by the Courier, Tammy – who is mum to two daughters – has been undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatment since being diagnosed with stomach cancer in September 2021.

More than 12 months on from the devastating news, she has defied doctors’ expectations – who said she had only half a year to live.

But with the cost of living soaring, she and her husband, Lintyn have been struggling to make ends meet.

Tammy was the deputy manager at Bents Farm Day Nursery in Norland but has been too ill to work.

The petition presented today – run by end-of-life charity Marie Curie – calls for better financial support for people with a terminal illness.

More than 166,000 people have signed it, urging the Government to give terminally ill people of working age access to their state pension.

Tammy, 43, said: “My diagnosis is having a devastating impact on our finances as a family. I had to give up a job that I loved, I’ve gone through 19 rounds of chemotherapy, and now we don’t have the money or time to make special memories together.

"My husband has to work every hour God sends to be able to keep up with our mounting bills. It’s a nightmare.

“I’ve worked hard my whole life but I won’t live until I’m 65. So why shouldn’t I be allowed to access my state pension?

“If I could draw my pension, we would have some money leftover at the end of the month to spend on something other than bills. That money would be life changing. We could go on a trip to the seaside.

"Just little things like that would mean so much to me and my kids.”

Marie Curie ambassador Chris Kamara said:

“What terminally ill people are going through at the moment is simply not right. People should be spending their time making memories, not worrying about money.”

To donate to a fundraiser for Tammy visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/tammys-fight-with-cancer