Special day for family of mum fighting lung cancer
COUPLE MARRY AFTER 27 YEARS TOGETHER
A PRUDHOE mum with terminal cancer has married her long-term partner after being given months to live.
Allison Kelly began suffering from a shortness of breath and a cough, with doctors putting them down to being post-coronavirus symptoms.
But just two months later she was struggling to breathe and was admitted into hospital where she was found to have 4.6 litres of fluid in her left lung.
A biopsy revealed the 55-year-old had mesothelioma – a type of cancer that mainly affects the lining of the lungs – and she was given just six to eight months left to live.
The devastating diagnosis prompted Allison’s partner of 27 years, Alan Wright, 58, to pop the question.
And within a matter of weeks the couple tied the knot at Hexham House in front of their daughter and bridesmaid Sophie, 17, and Allison’s mum and stepdad.
Allison said: “It was after I left the hospital when Alan said ‘come on, let’s get married.’
“There was no engagement and it all had to be done very quickly. We needed to get married before I started any treatment so I was well enough to enjoy the day.
“It was all done very simply. I had a very old suit on that was given to me by a mum in an antenatal class years ago.
“Alan had an old suit on. It was a very moving service and Alan walked me down the aisle due to the coronavirus restrictions.
“But it was perfect. It was very special day filled with a lot of laughter.”
Allison’s diagnosis came 25 years after she beat breast cancer at the age of 29. But this was not the first time cancer has hit her family.
A gene fault means she has lost her dad and two sisters to the disease while her halfsister was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
The archery champion is expected to discover next week if she is eligible to participate in a trial of a drug which is hoped to manage the symptoms of the cancer.
The happy couple had pictures taken in the picturesque gardens of Hexham House before returning to their Prudhoe home where they celebrated into the night.
Allison said: “We had afternoon tea and champagne and it was such a laugh. It makes everything complete. It was so special.
“I’m just really happy. I don’t worry about what is going to happen because I don’t want to waste my energy on something I can’t control.
“It’s been hard for Alan and Sophie. We’ve got to
It was a very moving service and Alan walked me down the aisle due to the coronavirus restrctions. But it was perfect. It was a very special day filled with a lot of laughter.
ALLISON WRIGHT
make the most of the time we have left as a family.”
Allison admits to being overwhelmed by the generosity of people who helped to make her wedding day so special.
A Justgiving page raised more than £7,400 in total which helped towards the cost, while an army of volunteers have completely overhauled the family’s back garden free of charge.
She said: “It’s been incredible seeing the amount of support we’ve received from everyone. It has all made a huge difference to my life.
“Thank you doesn’t even feel adequate. It has all been such a help, especially during the time when Alan and Sophie were trying to come to terms with everything.
“We have been very lucky and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone.”