WORDS DANIELLE MUSTARDE
Clare O’Regan, 56, from Huddersfield, met her partner Lesley in York in 1984 while working in a bicycle shop in the picturesque, northern city. From there, the couple went on to spend 33 years together. On 8 September 2017, Clare lost Lesley to ovarian cancer, after both had lived with the effects of the illness – and its numerous lengthy treatments – for seven years. “Part of my story must be much the same as anyone whose partner is dying of cancer,” begins Clare in a letter she wrote to Ovacome, the UK’s ovarian cancer charity, last year. “It’s also different from other people’s because I’m a lesbian.” Clare’s experiences, as both a partner to someone living with ovarian cancer and as a lesbian, prompted her to reach out to Ovacome directly. By sharing their story, Clare hoped she might be able to improve the support available for other same-sex couples who faced a similar journey.
ON COMING OUT (AGAIN)