Kimberly: I’m proof cancer can be beaten!

AMUM-OF-TWO from Ormskirk, who had an eye removed and nearly lost her leg in two separate instances of cancer, has opened a charity shop in the town.

Kimberly Harrison officially opened Cancer Research UK’s new shop last Thursday, in celebration of her survival.

The 38-year-old cut the ribbon and officially opened the doors of the shop in Burscough Street to customers.

She was joined by sons Noah, nine, and Toby, four.

Kimberly is supporting Cancer Research UK to raise awareness of the disease and to encourage people to support the new shop.

While Kimberly was pregnant with Noah in 2009, she noticed a lump the size of an orange form on her left knee.

Her GP initially put the swelling down to pregnancy-related fluid retention.

But, two months after giving birth, Kimberly’s symptoms persisted and she was diagnosed with sarcoma in June, 2010 – a rare form of cancer that affected her connective tissue.

Kimberly said: “I was absolutely gobsmacked. Cancer just isn’t something you expect will happen to you.

“My first thought was Noah, and the thought of him growing up without me. I had only just given birth and felt like I was being robbed of what was supposed to be a lovely, happy time as a new mum.”

A week later, Kimberly was told that her leg would need to be amputated and was referred for surgery at Broadgreen

Hospital in Liverpool.

She said: “My world came crashing down. Here I was age 29, with a newborn baby, being told my leg needed to come off.

“It’s not what you expect in a million years.”

However, the evening before surgery, doctors discovered they might be able to operate without removing the entire leg – thanks to a 1mm gap they had identified between the tumour and her bone.

The surgery went ahead and, although surgeons removed a large part of Kimberly’s leg including her kneecap and surrounding muscles, they were able to save the limb.

Determined to get back to normality, she returned to her job as sixth form administration manager at Alsop High School in Walton, Liverpool, a month after finishing treatment. But just when Kimberly thought her cancer journey was over, she was dealt another blow.

Only weeks after returning to work, she felt her vision becoming blurry while watching television and decided to book a routine eye test. She went to her optician, but staff immediately referred her to hospital.

The next day, ophthalmic doctors at St Paul’s Eye Hospital, in Liverpool, told Kimberly she had an aggressive form of cancer in her eye, called a choroidol melanoma and the best option was to remove her left eye.

Kimberly said: “When they told me the news, I ran to the toilet and threw up. It was the darkest day of my life.”

Following her recovery, Kimberly is determined to raise awareness of the lifesaving research carried out by Cancer Research UK and the need to continue to develop better and kinder treatments for people with cancer.

She said: “I am living proof of why research into cancer is so important.”

Now she is spreading her message by opening the new shop.

It is the charity’s 598th shop and has hundreds of items of clothing as well as a selection of homeware, books and children’s toys.

Kimberly said: “I am really proud to be guest of honour and open Cancer Research UK’s new shop right here in Ormskirk.”