Fenland boating firm help's Outwell woman Natalie's bucket list dream come true

A Fenland boating firm has helped add a tick to a dying woman's bucket list at the weekend.

The sun shone as Fox's Narrowboats in March helped Natalie Blandford-Heaney make one of her wishes come true by taking her for a sail up the river through Upwell and Outwell.

Natalie has an extremely rare, and aggressive type of cancer known as carcinoma of the sinus and sadly she is in stage 4, meaning it is incurable.

She has just completed a gruelling six weeks of radiotherapy which has left her feeling very tired and also suffering burns to her face.

But that did not stop the former Wisbech KFC worker and her family from taking to the water for the dream boat trip.

Joining on Natalie on the ride, which was donated by Fox's Narrowboats after they heard it was one Natalie's wishes to sail through her home village of Outwell, was her partner Connie Blandford Heaney, her mum Gill Blandford, dad James Blandford and step mum Jayne Jenner.

Gill said: "It was an absolutely brilliant day, the weather could not have been more perfect and the staff from Fox's Narrowboats were just so kind and caring. They really helped make the day special for Natalie, and we really can't thank them enough.

"We loved seeing all the wildlife and having a go at steering the barged and operating the locks. It was a very memorable day."

Emily Crossley, who helps run the family boating firm, said: "The day was a huge success, the weather was perfect and Natalie and her family had a great time. We were delighted to be able to help make one of her wishes come true, and we're glad the family enjoyed their trip."

Natalie has already added a tick to her list with a VIP trip to watch her football team, West Ham, play.

The former goalkeeper for the Linnets King's Lynn women's team, is now awaiting a scan in six weeks time to see if there is any other treatment she can have to help prolong her life.

She has a number of wishes including a desire to visit a zoo and a trip to Banham Zoo near Norwich is in the offing, others include a trip to Cadbury's World and a visit to the Tower of London.

A GoFundme page was launched in January by Natalie's cousin Anne Hunt and mum Gill, to help make Natalie's wishes come true and more than £4,000 was raised in less than a week and the total now stands at over £7,000 and the money will be put to good use over the coming weeks, when Natalie is recovered from the radiotherapy.

Regular updates are posted to the page on Natalie's progress as well as any news on her wishes being fulfilled.

To donate visit Gofundme and search “Help Natalie’s dreams come true”.