Leicester lockdown keeps mum from daughter with cancer

Marian Thomas and Michelle Teale have been divided by Leicester's local lockdown

A woman with incurable cancer planned to see her mother for the first time since March but they were unable to meet after Leicester went into lockdown.

Michelle Teale, 58, from Leicester, wanted to form a "support bubble" with her mum who also has cancer.

Marian Thomas, 85, lives in Cleethorpes and was going to move in with her daughter but this plan is now on hold.

Ms Teale said "any extra lockdown just takes another week away from me".

She said: "This was our opportunity to start a bubble and it's just been dashed completely."

The pair have been learning how to make video calls in order to make the most of their time apart

Ms Teale has not seen her mother since 2 March when the UK was in the early stages of the coronavirus crisis.

As someone who is most at risk from coronavirus, she spent 18 weeks shielding.

Ms Teale had planned to visit Ms Thomas, who lives alone after losing her husband and has been left feeling lonely during lockdown.

Ms Thomas said: "My life just ended altogether when the lockdown came in - it's been terrible, nobody's been since the start of this lockdown."

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The pair had planned to form a support bubble and on 6 July, Ms Teale was going to travel to Cleethorpes and collect her mother, bringing her back to Leicester.

However, she was left unable to go after the city became the first place in the UK to have a local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases.

The Health Secretary said Leicester's lockdown would last for at least two weeks

Ms Teale said she first began her "cancer journey" in April last year and has had chemotherapy as well as surgical treatment.

The cancer, which has since spread into her bones, can be treated but not cured.

"I just have to keep mum and myself safe," she added.

"I can't jeopardise what I've gone through just to catch something which may kill me."

The mother and daughter said what they want most is to be able to hug each other again

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