A SCUNTHORPE widow has only two more weeks to force a debate in the House of Commons about the illness which killed her husband.
Mum-of-one Maggie Watts, 49, has been told she has until Tuesday, April 8 to complete a 100,000-name online petition.
But she is about 46,000 signatures short of the mark.
Maggie, a secretary with the Scunthorpe-based Clugston Group, said: “You get one year to find 100,000 signatures so April 8 is the end of my term.
“I have to find 46,000 names in three weeks.
“It’s do-able but it will take a lot of effort.
“I will need to investigate whether there is a Plan B option like rallying MPs to get behind the cause if we don’t hit 100,000.
“We can still apply for a debate if we don’t get 100,000 but we need the backing of MPs.”
Maggie wants Parliament to discuss the lack of funding for research into pancreatic cancer.
She started her campaign after her builder-husband Kevin died from the illness in 2009, aged 49.
Maggie said: “The survival rate for sufferers has not improved in the past 40 years.
“Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of UK cancer death with the worst survival rate of all cancers, yet it receives one per cent of the budget for research.
“We want the Government to provide more funding and awareness.”
Last November Maggie presented findings into pancreatic cancer survival rates to an all-party Parliamentary group at Westminster.
And recently a twist of fate boosted the online petition after Coronation Street ran a storyline where character Hayley Cropper, played by actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, was diagnosed as being terminally ill with pancreatic cancer.
Since Hayley’s death on January 20 the number of names on the petition has more than doubled. Julie has actively supported Maggie in her campaign and the two women met on a fact-finding mission at the University of Manchester last December.
When the 44-year-old actress won the honours for the best serial drama performance at the National Television Awards ceremony this year, she paid tribute to the Scunthorpe widow.
You can help Maggie get her 46,000 names by signing the petition here… http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/48389
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