Sean Kelly, who regularly ran marathons, was 59 when he died
A wife whose “fit as a fiddle” husband died nine months after an unexpected lung cancer diagnosis has said she “wants more to be done” around diagnosis and treatment.
Julie Kelly, 62, a practice manager from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, said her husband Sean was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer in February 2025 after finding it difficult to breathe while running.
He was an “active” 59-year-old who ran countless marathons, represented England in races and had raised thousands for charity, including more than £20,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust.
At the time of his diagnosis, doctors said his prognosis with treatment was 10 to 12 months, but after undergoing chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy, Sean died in November 2025, nine months later.
Before he died, Sean was invited to 10 Downing Street to speak about the importance of lung cancer screening, and he said this was “one of the saddest and most proud moments of (his) life”.
Julie is now keen to continue his legacy and raise more awareness as new treatments are being researched and recommended.
She told PA Real Life: “We want more to be done around this.
“He was a 59-year-old elite athlete and he gets struck down by this. What it tells you is it can happen to anybody, and I think that’s the message.
“So, what can be done to push more of this when it comes to prevention and an awareness of lung cancer?”
In 1985, Julie met Sean while working as a receptionist at the Grand Hotel in Scarborough, which was Butlin’s-owned at the time.
She said she initially did not want to date him, as he was the general manager’s son, but this soon changed.
“He somehow managed to persuade me – and the rest is history,” Julie said.
Two years later the couple were married, they had two children and they celebrated nearly 40 years of marriage together.
Julie describes Sean as her rock, generous, motivational, sociable and energetic, and someone who “loved music, family and sport”.
She said Sean never had any health issues and was “always active”, especially as he had picked up running again in his 40s.
He joined Scarborough Athletic Club, took part in various races and marathons and he loved “encouraging other people to do the best they could” in the sport.
“He was absolutely fit as a fiddle,” Julie explained.
“The worst that ever happened to him was he had his appendix out, but apart from that, he was very fit, very healthy, never poorly.”
Julie said Sean ran his final marathon – the Chester Marathon in October 2024 where he represented England – in two hours, 48 minutes and three seconds.
However, when he started finding it “difficult to breathe” while running, the couple knew something was wrong.
After returning home from a holiday to Thailand, Sean saw his GP in January 2025 and was referred to hospital for further tests, including X-rays, which revealed “all his observations were completely perfect”.
However, after being invited for a follow-up CT scan, he was told in early February 2025 that he had lung cancer.
“We were in complete disbelief, shock,” Julie said.
“We just thought, ‘They’ve got it wrong. It can’t possibly be. Look at him’.”
Another appointment revealed an exact diagnosis of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) at the end of that month, a condition Julie had “never heard of”.
By this point, Sean’s cancer had progressed to stage four as there were lesions in his kidneys and liver and concerns about his pelvis, and doctors said his prognosis with treatment was 10 to 12 months.
According to Cancer Research UK, around 15 to 20 out of every 100 lung cancers (around 15 to 20%) diagnosed are this type.
Despite the initial shock, Julie said Sean “took the bull by the horns” and wanted to get started with treatment immediately.
“He accepted it was real, it was his body, he knew,” she said.
“He didn’t for a minute dream it was cancer, but he almost stepped forward into this overdrive of, ‘What am I going to do now?’.”
Sean initially started with chemotherapy and immunotherapy, before learning the cancer had spread to his brain and continuing with just chemotherapy.
Julie said he “needed a new sense of purpose” while undergoing treatment and, having been supported by Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, he took on their “walk 30 miles in April” challenge.
He ended up raising more than £4,000 by walking 60 miles in 15 days and was later invited to Downing Street in June 2025 to celebrate Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s 35th anniversary.
In his speech about the importance of lung cancer screening, Julie said he read aloud the following: “It is fair to say that I did run well.
“All I now want to do is help people after me and remind people like yourself how important screening is.
“I had my chance, I took it, and this is probably one of the saddest and most proud moments of my life.”
After his fourth round of chemotherapy, Julie said Sean was in “excruciating pain” and they made the difficult decision to stop the treatment, before he started radiotherapy in July 2025.
After watching the Scarborough 10k run in his wheelchair on his birthday in October, cheering for every runner, Julie said Sean went into Saint Catherine’s Hospice on October 20 and “sadly never came back out”.
He died on November 14, surrounded by his loved ones.
Speaking about grief, Julie said: “I think initially it’s shock, followed by disbelief, complete disbelief.
“I still sit here in disbelief.
“All I can say is that grief, for me, is an ever-changing process and it’s a day-by-day process.”
Julie has found comfort in keeping herself busy with work, fitness and dog walking, surrounding herself with friends and family and spending time with her two grandchildren.
While Sean only met the first grandchild before he died, Julie said the “babies are a godsend”.
“Sean talked about this when he was still here because he believes in the circle of life,” she said.
“We’re all devastated he’s not here because we know he would have been the world’s best granddad.”
Earlier this year, in Sean’s memory, Julie took part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon and said she “loved every minute of it”.
Julie wants to share Sean’s story to “keep his legacy going” and to raise more awareness of SCLC and the importance of research, screening and funding into diagnosis and treatments.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), a public body which provides guidance for the NHS and wider health and care system, published final guidance recommending serplulimab with carboplatin and etoposide for untreated extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer in June this year.
This is an infusion treatment, and it is estimated around 1,150 people in England could benefit from the drug.
Serplulimab is the first anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody recommended by Nice for untreated extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), and the drug should now be available for patients in both Wales and England.
Speaking about her advice to others, Julie said: “There’s no script and there’s no planning, and the one thing I’ve learned is not to think too much and just let (the grieving process) happen.
“I just want to keep his legacy going because he was all about helping other people.”
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