Tatiani will have hair cut in memory of dad
A WIDOW has spoken of her “kindhearted” husband’s battle against pancreatic cancer and life after he died eight months ago.
Paul Allen died aged 61 last August after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after months of being ill.
His brave 10-year-old daughter Tatiani Allen is now planning to cut her knee-length hair to raise money for the Little Princess Trust.
The primary school pupil decided to cut her hair in memory of her dad and has so far raised more than £250.
Anna Allen, 54, said: “Paul was a very hardworking family man. Always ready to help everyone, kindhearted.
“Rarely lost his temper. Loved his music and happy to be at home with his family.”
Anna, who had been married to Paul since 1992, said he was unwell for several months before going to the doctors.
Anna said: “He was very unwell and very pale, and saying he would not go to the doctors.
“We could see it progress, he could not eat and was getting paler and paler.
“Then in February 2016 I said, ‘You have to go to the doctors, it’s not fair on the kids’.”
After visiting the doctor Paul was found to be jaundiced and immediately sent to hospital.
Despite telling Anna he would be home later that evening, she realised how ill he was. Anna, who set up Anna’s Cafe in Cardiff with Paul in 2014, said: “Some of the time I think he really was in denial.
“When we went in that night it was the biggest nightmare, he was so jaundiced.
“It was like looking at a corpse. I thought I did not prepare the kids for this.
“Then it just went down from there, there was so many times in and out of hospital.”
Surgeons removed part of Paul’s pancreas and he underwent chemotherapy treatment, and at Christmas he sent a message to friends and family saying he had the all-clear. But Anna said in June he was admitted to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital.
Anna said: “It was on a Sunday and he said he couldn’t breathe. A doctor came out straight away and he [Paul] went straight back to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital.”
Paul was told he had around two months left to live and was transferred to the Y Bwthyn Hospice in Pontypridd.
He died on August 5 shortly before his 62nd birthday.
Writing on her crowdfunding page, Tatiani said her hair will be enough to make two wigs.
She wrote: “I am 10 years old and I have lost my daddy to cancer eight months ago and it was horrible to see him go through cancer and I think it must be even more horrible for children to go through cancer.”
Anna said: “Her hair is her pride and joy. She was nine the last time that she had it cut.
“When her daddy passed away I said, ‘What do you think about doing it, it’d make a child so happy’.
“It was all her decision to say yes, and she’s been really encouraged by all of the comments on social media supporting her.”
Donations can be made at justgiving.com/ fundraising/Anna-Allen4