Scunthorpe mum who survived cancer is on fundraising mission

A Scunthorpe mum who survived rectal and bowel cancer 20 years ago is now on a mission to urge people in the town to Stand Up To Cancer this autumn.

Life changed in ways Deborah Laverack could never have imagined in 2001. She went from becoming a mother for the fourth time in the April to, despite it being rare for cancer to develop during pregnancy, scheduling her life around surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions by August.

Her daughter Katie was born just before Deborah was diagnosed and is now 21 and doing a masters degree at the University of Chester.

Deborah is sharing her story to help rally people against it by raising money to accelerate life-saving research.

Deborah was prescribed six weeks of intense treatment, starting with a week of in-patient chemotherapy, daily radiotherapy for the following four weeks. She then had a final week of chemotherapy back in hospital and her parents, who were living in Spain, came over to look after the children.

Her treatment finished in the September, but a scan showed more tumours that had not responded to the chemotherapy which were seen further up the bowel.

Deborah needed surgery to remove a large section of her bowel, forming a colostomy, which she had in March 2002.

She then had plastic surgery to take some muscle from elsewhere in the body to sew over her damaged rectum, which she calls her “Barbie bum”. She also had problems with her leg in 2006 that required an amputation above the knee, but she remained in “fairly good health”.

Deborah is sharing her story to help rally people against it by raising money to accelerate life-saving research.

Deborah said: “During my pregnancy, I’d been seeing my GP to complain about a pain in my rear end. A lump the size of a plum was clearly visible, but the doctor insisted it was haemorrhoids. The medication didn’t help and the lump grew to the size of a peach.

“When I went back to the surgery after a difficult delivery in April, I was referred to the hospital for a biopsy. Even on the day, they said they thought it was cancer.

“I was quite expecting that diagnosis as I had had piles and, as a former nurse, knew it wasn’t that, but it was still devastating, as the mother of a new-born who was breastfeeding whilst running to the toilet all the time and trying to manage three older children, aged seven, 12 and 16.

“It’s thanks to research I’m still here and can look forward to a future full of special moments with my loved ones. One of those was when my second eldest, Natalie, had Franki, my first grandchild.

“Cancer can affect anyone’s life at any time, so we really have no choice other than to unite against it and help support the scientists to keep making new discoveries. I want Franki to grow up in a world free from the fear of cancer.”

Deborah is backing the joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 – Stand Up To Cancer.

There are around 28,200 people diagnosed with cancer every year in the East Midlands. Since beating the disease, Deborah has been an active fundraiser and volunteer for cancer charities.

The 60-year-old is now backing the joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 – Stand Up To Cancer.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Stand Up To Cancer in the UK, and over £93 million has been raised to date, funding 64 clinical trials and projects involving more than 13,000 cancer patients.

Deborah is urging supporters to fundraise in their own way or pick from a host of fun-filled ideas to raise vital funds at work, home or school – see more information on how to fundraise and donate here.

Deborah, whose father died of bowel cancer, said: “The more research into better and kinder treatments the better chance people have of overcoming cancer.

“That’s why I’m lending my heartfelt support to this vitally important campaign. Every action big or small could help make a difference. So, I hope people in Scunthorpe will Stand Up To Cancer for everyone affected by this devastating disease.”

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