A fit and healthy dad of two who mistook a rare cancer for a sports injury has been described as ‘the most amazing father’ in a moving film on Channel 4 for Stand Up To Cancer.
A heart-breaking account from wife Rosie Freeland reveals how the Winchester couple were given the devastating diagnosis after Hughie had experienced months of groin pain. An x-ray revealed a broken hip which he later discovered was caused by giant cell rich osteosarcoma weakening the bone.
Despite undergoing a hip replacement, surgery to remove and rebuild half his pelvis and chemotherapy, Hughie passed away in April 2022, leaving young sons Rory, then five and one-year-old Rafferty.
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Sharing their story to help accelerate life-saving research, Rosie starts in February 2020: "We had just started thinking of having another baby when Hughie started experiencing groin pain that he thought was from not stretching properly.”
Two months later the pair were delighted to discover they were expecting. Marathon runner Hughie was still in pain and was told he had broken his hip.
Rosie added: “It seemed crazy as he’d been jumping on a trampoline just before, so they continued doing further tests.
“I remember clearly driving him to hospital for an appointment and I waved him off, expecting him to be back in a couple of hours. I FaceTimed him and I could see he was frightened and he said: ‘They’re talking about cancer.’”
Hughie was one of just five people each year in England to be diagnosed with the rare cancer.
In July 2020, Hughie had surgery followed by chemotherapy and doctors were confident it had been successful.
Rosie explained: “He was given the all-clear and in January 2021, I gave birth to our second son. It was a joyful time as the treatment had finished and we had something so positive to focus on. Hughie was the most amazing father – a really fun dad.”
The cancer returned just months later. More surgery and chemotherapy followed and Hughie was once again told there was no evidence of cancer.
When the pain returned again, scans showed the disease had spread to his lungs and spine.
Rosie said: “The doctors said there was nothing more they could do. Hughie couldn’t do the things he wanted to do or be the father he wanted to be.
"I had to say that the doctors couldn’t make daddy better.”
Hughie took his last breath aged 45.
Stand Up To Cancer is a joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.
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