Breast cancer sufferer’s amazing fundraising effort
ANGHARAD Williams, a dairy farmer from Llangyndeyrn, Carmarthenshire, was just 41 when she was told she had stage two breast cancer in May last year - but despite the tough times that brought, she has fought back against the illness with an amazing fundraising effort.
After undergoing surgery a month later, it was discovered her lymph nodes were also affected, meaning she would have to endure eight fortnightly sessions of chemotherapy.
She received the highest dose of chemotherapy you can have in the UK - before completing 20 daily sessions of radiotherapy.
Mrs Williams, now aged 42, said it had been a “tough year”.
“I was hit with the highest dose [of chemotherapy] in the UK because the doctor said about my age and fitness but it was tougher as it went on,” she said.
“I was drained and tired and my whole body felt like a herd of animals was constantly running over it.
“I can safely say that this was the worst time of my life, not only dealing with the physical side of the treatment, but also the emotional side of dealing with the unknown.
“My son, who was seven at the time, was unaware, which meant I had to try to proceed with normal daily activities and remain as positive as possible.
“It was really hard at the start, but I had to tell him because some schoolchildren found out and there was a risk they would tell him.
“I made it very light because he knows cancer isn’t good, so I told him about the operation I’d had and said, ‘I had cancer but it’s in the bin.’”
Mrs Williams decided to set herself the challenge of raising as much money as possible for charity, including the breast care unit at Llanelli’s Prince Philip Hospital.
As part of the fundraising, she decided to shave her hair off the day before having a chemotherapy session.
“I knew my hair would fall out anyway,” she said.
“I didn’t want him [my son] to see my hair on the pillow, or in a brush or around the house, and I didn’t want to see that myself either.
“In the December all my eyelashes and eyebrows went, and that really hit home, because with my hair I could put a hat on.”
When Mrs Williams’s sister was married at the family’s farm, Panteg, two days before her second chemotherapy session, she had the idea of arranging a charity auction using the marquee that had already been set up.
After selling 400 tickets, an incredible £43,000 was raised for charity in just three hours, with a weekend at Bluestone, hospitality boxes and even a trip to New York up for grabs.
A pink tractor run, which saw Warren Gatland sponsor one of the drivers as well as referee Nigel Owens getting behind the wheel himself, added £15,000 to the pot.
As 2018 was approaching, Mrs Williams had reached a massive £63,000 fundraising total.
“I had a JustGiving page too, which raised just under £2,000, and a Christmas fayre in Porthyrhyd contributed by giving all profits to my fundraiser,” Mrs Williams added.
“My son’s primary school, Ysgol y Fro in Kidwelly, organised a 5k run and raised £1,165 for Cancer Cymru.
“It’s all down to the support. It’s been absolutely amazing, and if it hadn’t been for them then I wouldn’t have reached this incredible amount.
“My family, friends, neighbours and the local community in Llangyndeyrn, Mynyddcerrig, Porthyrhyd and Llanddarog have been unbelievable with their help and generosity.
“My husband bought the New York trip at the auction so we’re going in December with our son and the people who donated it, so that’s something to look forward to.
“This village all sort of pulled together.”
The huge amount of funding raised was split between the breast care unit and the Wales Air Ambulance, with the chemotherapy unit in Llanelli and the Will Thomas memorial fund also receiving a share.