Hotel boss Susan in race for life for Clare

A hotel owner from Hawick has expressed her pride in the daughter she lost to cancer just weeks ago by taking part in a fundraising race in her honour.
Susan Watson and her daughter Clare Louise Saunders, who died following a battle with cancer.Susan Watson and her daughter Clare Louise Saunders, who died following a battle with cancer.
Susan Watson and her daughter Clare Louise Saunders, who died following a battle with cancer.

Nurse Clare Louise Saunders succumbed to bone cancer on March 1 this year at the age of 45.

She had spent nine years battling the disease and leaves behind husband Dave and their two daughters, Emma, 16, and Sophie, 12.

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It was a devastating loss for the whole family, Clare’s parents, Susan and Dave Watson, have run the Balcary House Hotel in Buccleuch Road for the last two and a half-years.

As homage to the daughter she calls her hero, Susan took part at the weekend in a 5km Race for Life fundraising event in support of Cancer Research UK on Teesside, where Clare lived and worked.

Susan recalled the determination her daughter, who worked at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and latterly at a doctor’s practice in the town, had displayed in facing up to the disease.

She said: “My main motivation in taking part in the Race for Life was our beautiful daughter Clare, our caring, clever daughter who we sadly lost on March 1st.

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“She is my hero forever. I’d run the race with Clare before and I was determined I was going to do it for her this year.

“Most of the time you wouldn’t know that Clare was ill because she was just so determined to keep everything normal and it was only in the last couple of weeks of her life that she really went downhill.

“Even then, she was still being chatting and making jokes.”

Susan added: “Clare was very outgoing, good company, full of life and very positive.

“She was still going out with her friends up until the last couple of weeks ... going out, having coffee and taking part in stuff. She was just so lovely.

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“Cancer is happening right now, which is why I took part in the Race for Life to raise money and save lives.

“One in two people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.

“Every single pound you donate makes a difference to Cancer Research UK’s ground-breaking work.”

If you want to support Susan’s effort, go to: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/susans-race-forlife-20830