Grandma to brave catwalk with her new leg
66-year-old to do faShion Show after cancer fight led to amPutation
AN INSPIRATIONAL grandmother who has battled cancer for 20 years will strut her stuff at a charity catwalk event - and she’ll do it with a brand new leg.
Wynn Cater’s fight against the disease has been full of ups and downs. At one point, she picked out her own grave - but she battled on with courage, determination and humour.
Wynn, 66, was first diagnosed with sarcoma - a rare cancer affecting soft tissue and muscle - in 1999. She underwent radical surgery and lost all the muscle in the back of her right leg, meaning she had to learn to walk again. After five years of check-ups, she was given the all clear.
But the celebrations were shortlived. Just just six months later she was told the cancer was back.
Wynn’s life became a constant cycle of radiotherapy and surgery, with the disease disappearing then returning every two years.
In 2015, Wynn had another blow when doctors told her the cancer had spread to her lungs - and it was inoperable. But she did not give up hope, took up spiritual healing and her tumours shrank. It meant she could undergo two more operations and Wynn was disease-free again.
In 2016, the mum-of-two was one of 50 models to take to the catwalk at Manchester Airport in aid of Maggie’s Manchester. Maggie’s, next to The Christie, in Withington, offers practical and emotional support to people affected by cancer.
The event was the boost Wynn needed. “It was fantastic,” she said.
“What I loved about it the most was the comradeship - meeting like-minded people and being a huge support to each other.” Last year, Wynn’s cancer returned. The only option was an abovethe-knee amputation followed by further open lung surgery.
For the third time in her life, Wynn is learning to walk again and is preparing for a second outing on the catwalk - now with a prosthetic leg.
Wynn said the chance to be a model again has given her the determination to get out of her wheelchair.
“I walked for the first time on my new leg recently,” she said. “I have an amazing incentive to walk down the catwalk at Maggie’s. Last time I did it with two legs and in my heart I’ll be doing it with two legs again – just one of them will be prosthetic.”
Cheering Wynn on will be her two sons John and Roband three grandkids Max, Miles and Mason.
Maggie’s On The Runway is on June 16. For details see maggiesontherunway.com.