Mother urges nation to stand up to cancer

A NEW mother who was diagnosed with cancer when her son was just eight months old is backing a campaign urging people to stand up to the disease.

Shiela Laramore, 33, was diagnosed with aggressive Hodgkin Lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells, on September 23 last year.

After enduring chemotherapy from last October until December and three weeks of radiotherapy in January she was declared cancer-free in May.

Mrs Laramore has now been chosen as the face of Scotland’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign, a joint fundraising initiative from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.

Backed by celebrities including

Sir Andy Murray, Pharrell Williams and Edith Bowman, it aims to speed up the development of new cancer treatments and tests.

Mrs Laramore, whose son Harry is now one, said: “Nobody should have to worry about not seeing their children grow up.

“When I first learnt I had cancer I just sat there thinking, ‘that’s it. I’m going to die’. It was very hard to take in and a big shock.

“But I got through cancer and I know research saves lives. That’s why I’m giving my heartfelt support to join the rebellion.”

Mrs Laramore, an RAF Association welfare officer from Dunbar, East Lothian, who is married to husband Gabriel, 31, was diagnosed after tests on a lump on her neck.

Doctors said that although her cancer was aggressive, it was also very treatable, though she was warned that it could affect her fertility.

She said: “I was offered a round of IVF to freeze eggs or embryos but I declined. I felt truly lucky to have my little boy. He’s perfect.

“I had to put him first and felt that to give myself the best possible chance of being around to be his mum, I had to start treatment immediately.”