Former headteacher Claire Bolton, 68, died just 64 days later after a receiving devastating diagnosis - her daughter is now starting a challenge to honour her mother's memory07:56, 20 May 2026A beloved retired headteacher died several months after experiencing difficulty swallowing her meals.‌Ciara Bolton, 30, said her "world changed overnight" after her mum Claire, 68, was given a devastating diagnosed in September last year. The daughter revealed her mum grew worried after finding it hard to swallow food last summer. Because she had been troubled by heartburn for years, the family at first thought the symptoms were down to an oesophageal hernia.‌After visiting doctors, the mother was sadly diagnosed with stage four oesophageal cancer. Claire, from Speke, had devoted more than 30 years to working in schools throughout Liverpool, including at St Hugh's Catholic Primary School in Wavertree, and had also spent a decade teaching at an international school in Greece.‌READ MORE: 21-year-old thought he had a hangover, until he lost ability to speakREAD MORE: 'I saw bright white light and was going to heaven - I knew I had to keep my eyes open'Ciara described her mum as "one of a kind". She said: "My mum was hilarious, warm and so selfless. She never put herself first. She split up from my dad when we were young so she raised us on her own. She was just incredible and I'll never meet anyone like her. She was such a big character, everything feels quiet now she's gone."Ciara added: "She went to the doctors in July and they referred her for a consultation with suspected oesophageal stomach cancer. She suffered with heartburn her whole life and didn't think it was that big of a deal."‌Towards the end of July, Claire had an endoscopy which uncovered a mass in her oesophagus. An early biopsy returned inconclusive, offering the family hope that it wasn't cancer, reports the Liverpool Echo. But merely a fortnight later, Claire received a diagnosis of stage four oesophageal cancer.Medical professionals subsequently confirmed that surgical intervention wasn't possible as the illness had metastasised to lymph nodes adjacent to her stomach. Ciara said: "I was in complete denial. I did what you should never do and I Googled it. It said most people with oesophageal cancer get two years. But my mum died within 64 days."‌The mum embarked on chemotherapy treatment at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Wirral and had a stent inserted to assist in keeping her oesophagus open enabling her to consume food. Nevertheless, her health deteriorated at an alarming rate.Ciara said: "She stopped getting out of bed. She couldn't eat because the mass had got so big that she would just be sick. She was mainly drinking whole milk to keep her calories up. After the second round of chemotherapy, things took a complete turn. My mum was being sick, couldn't walk and her muscles had atrophied from staying in bed. She went back to hospital and never came back out."Claire died in November last year following a two-week hospital stay. Ciara said: "I never thought we wouldn't have mum with us for Christmas. Even my mum kept saying, 'at least you'll have me for one more Christmas'."‌Now, honouring her mother's memory, Ciara is gearing up to walk the equivalent of a marathon daily for five straight days, traversing over 130 miles from Hull to Liverpool between July 23 and 27. She will tackle the challenge with close pals Caroline and Isobel to generate funds for Cancer Research UK.The fundraising effort is completely self-funded so that every penny donated goes straight to the charity. In less than a fortnight, Ciara has already collected nearly £5,000 and is aiming to hit £10,000.Article continues belowDiscussing why she chose to undertake the challenge, she said: "I love camping and I saw Jo Brand had done it for Comic Relief in seven days. I knew I could do it in less than that. With oesophageal cancer, there are no symptoms until it's too late. I'm doing it with my friends who loved her just as much as I did."Ciara revealed the backing of her family, particularly her aunty Carmel, sustained her throughout her mum's illness. She said: "My aunty Carmel was by my mum's side constantly. She was a hero. I couldn't have gone through this without her."Anticipating the moment she completes the walk back into Liverpool, Ciara added: "When I get back to Liverpool, I think I'll just break down. To have achieved that, especially with it being for charity, is incredible - but to do it for my mum, I just know she'd be so proud of me." Those wishing to contribute to Ciara's fundraiser can do so HERE.