A terminally ill model train enthusiast whose family have been left aggrieved he didn’t receive a quicker diagnosis has been given a boost thanks to an effort to get a planned project back on track.
The anger Clive Forder (68) and his wife Tina felt has been balanced with a wave of goodwill as a funding effort has been launched to help create a model railway he can easily enjoy at the couple’s Sutton Bridge home.
The former bus driver and supermarket worker was told in January that he had around 18 months to live after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
The 7.3cm tumour and a separate diagnosis of bleeding on the brain and a spinal condition mean Clive’s been told he’s too ill for chemotherapy.
The grandad to nine can have radiotherapy, but that treatment still hasn’t started.
It follows well over a year of misdiagnosis, including being told he had COPD and a chest infection.
Tina, who has worked as a nurse for the NHS for 26 years and currently in the Continuing Healthcare project, was particularly upset at the lack of face-to-face meetings with doctors Clive had experienced.
“They’ve given my husband a death sentence,” she said. “I think my husband’s only spoken straight to a doctor twice in well over a year of trying to find out what was wrong.
“I blame the government for what they’ve done to the NHS.
“They’re supposed to be working for us but they’re a waste of space.”
Tina says she’s looking into whether to pursue legal action but also stressed there were many working in hospitals and surgeries who had gone “above and beyond” for them.
On top of her job she cares for Clive sharing those duties with their sons and daughter Nathan, Adam and Zoe.
Clive now struggles with his balance and has to use a wheelchair but the back door to their home on Nene Meadows is not wide enough.
There’s also not enough room to set up a model railway inside.
“Clive’s one life time aim was to set up his train set,” Tina continued. “He has a 00 gauge set he’s been building up for the last 20 years and the plan was that when he retired he’d get it up and running.
“He’s been waiting most of his life to do that, but now it’s so much more difficult.”
Now a group of tradesmen are getting together and looking to raise £3,000 to put patio doors in the couple’s bedroom so he can wheel himself out to a newly built shed containing his dream model railway.
Tracey Healey is one of those in the group that originally came together to build a memorial garden.
“Clive’s son Adam is a friend of one of our volunteers so when we heard of Clive’s diagnosis and his dream to have a wheelchair accessible cabin in the garden for his much loved train set, we all came together to put a plan in place of how we can make this happen,” said the Somerset-based plumber.
“We’re tradespeople from across the country who want to donate their time and skills to help others less fortunate that ourselves.
“We have done previous projects like this in the past and found the group gets larger every time. It’s a fantastic way to meet new friends from across the country with the same desire to pull together and help others whenever we can.”
Clive said: “I’m just over the moon at the reaction.
“What’s being done is incredible. I can’t thank people enough.”
“The reaction has been over-whelming,” added Tina.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up by Tracey to anyone that wants to donate to the project. It’s called Clive’s Cabin and is at https://www.gofundme.com/f/clives-cabin
