Ex-Arsenal and Chelsea ace collapsed after seeing spider and has months to live | Football | Sport

Former England footballer Amy Carr, who is battling a brain tumour, was given a prognosis of six to nine months to live last summer in a tragic turn of events. Carr was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015 after collapsing in her bedroom at the sight of a spider. Initially, doctors misdiagnosed the incident as a reaction to her arachnophobia, but she later suffered two more blackouts at the gym.

The 34-year-old underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy to treat the grade four astrocytoma, which was the size of a golf ball. She believed she had beaten the disease until recently when blurred vision and slurred speech led to the discovery that the tumour had regrown. On August 15 last year, Carr received the devastating news that she was terminally ill and had only six to nine months left to live, shattering nearly a decade of hope that she was cancer-free. The heartbreaking diagnosis came just weeks before she was due to embark on a 10-day cruise around Naples, Florence and Santorini with her best friend.

Adding to her distress, Carr – who earned 16 caps playing as a goalkeeper for England’s under-17 and under-19 teams – was forced to cancel the trip as she couldn’t secure travel insurance due to the worsening of her condition.

However, cruise provider Iglu declined to offer a refund to Amy and her friend, despite them providing medical evidence. This left the duo claiming they were £4,000 out of pocket. The provider has since revised its position, issuing an apology and offering a refund of £1,500.

Amy, hailing from Hemel Hempstead, expressed: “I’m exhausted with trying – and failing – to make contact with Iglu.” She added: “They haven’t responded to either of us. Even though they told us they can’t give us a refund, they could’ve apologised or organised a voucher. I’m beyond disappointed with Iglu and their lack of care.”

Her best mate Lucy Baker, 35, revealed that Amy had chosen to book the cruise for July 2025 as she’d “always wanted to go to Italy.” The friends believed a cruise would be less taxing on Amy’s health compared to backpacking around the country.

“Amy knew she was very ill, and cruising is an easy way to get around loads of different places, rather than hopping on trains and planes,” her friend explained. “We were really looking forward to it.”

Lucy disclosed that Amy even forked out an additional £800 fee to bring a wheelchair onboard – which was later refunded by Iglu – because she was “so desperate to go.” However, just one month after booking the cruise, Amy received her latest prognosis from her consultant at the University College London Hospital – she only had six to nine months left to live.

Iglu mandated that passengers obtain travel insurance prior to departure – and owing to Amy’s medical situation, she was unable to secure coverage from any insurance provider. Her friend Lucy explained: “We got in touch with [Iglu] saying we couldn’t get insurance. They were just quite heartless, really – they told us we’d have a 100 per cent loss and we weren’t offered any form of refund or voucher.

“Amy’s such a good person – in fact, she’s a lovely person – and she didn’t deserve that.” Following notification that they would not receive a refund from Iglu, the duo claim they have heard nothing further from the agency. Amy’s initial symptoms emerged in 2013, with an MRI scan in February 2015 identifying the tumour – which was originally benign.

By July that year, it had turned malignant and Amy underwent an operation, receiving a 95 per cent survival prognosis. Her procedure was carried out whilst she remained conscious – using pioneering surgical techniques where the patient’s body is anaesthetised but they stay awake.

The operation left her unable to walk or speak for eight days – and when she finally regained speech, she bizarrely communicated in her GCSE-level French for a brief period. The tumour affected her coordination, and Amy also reports noticing alterations in her personality.Amy attended routine follow-ups, but shortly after her appointment last year, she started experiencing blurred vision and slurred speech.

She returned for another examination in November, when it was tragically discovered her tumour had returned. Lucy revealed: “For the best part of 10 years she was clear,” and added: “She was having regular MRIs. She got the all-clear in her checkup last year, but a couple of weeks later, she began experiencing blurred vision and slurred speech.

“Another MRI in November showed the tumour had grown back. The moment we found out, we told Iglu – we wanted a refund because it was a lot of money for us and they are a multi-million pound company. [Her August prognosis] made it impossible to get travel insurance.

“Iglu has now granted Amy Carr a £1,500 refund. A company spokesperson commented: “We were truly saddened to learn the reason Amy has had to cancel this holiday and we extend our deepest sympathies during this incredibly difficult time.” They added: “Our thoughts are with Amy and all her loved ones.

“Our team has reviewed the booking, and under these difficult circumstances, we certainly want to do what we can to help. We are pleased to confirm that we are issuing a refund of £1,500 to Amy Carr as an immediate gesture of goodwill.

“While we know this doesn’t replace the holiday that was being looked forward to, we sincerely hope this gesture will offer some measure of relief and alleviate a little of the disappointment. We know that in times like these, the last thing anyone needs is a complication, and we are sorry for any added upset this may have caused.”

Amy, accompanied by Lucy and other friends, embarked on a five-mile walk to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research in September 27, raising over £26,000. Amy completed the walk using a mobility scooter.

“Amy is such an inspiration to all those around her, she has fought this disease for a long time and all the while has fundraised and raised awareness for Brain Cancer Research,” expressed Lucy.”

“She is always willing to help others and is a good friend to so many people. It’s such a shame she didn’t get to go on the cruise that she was so looking forward to.”