Sandbach cancer survivor to cycle 800km across India
A cancer survivor who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, hiked to Everest Base Camp and cycled from Vietnam to Cambodia is about to set out on her next challenge.Andrea Sheardown, 52, was originally given six weeks to live 10 years ago when she was diagnosed with bile duct cancer.But Ms Sheardown, of Sandbach, Cheshire, is now preparing for an 800km (497miles) bike ride in India in to top the £100,000 she has already raised for AMMF - the UK's only charity focused on the cancer, known as cholangiocarcinoma."It's definitely not a challenge for the faint-hearted," she said, stressing it needed to be challenging as everything has been since the mother of three was first diagnosed.
Ms Sheardown said the ride from Chennai to Kochi, crossing the Western Ghats mountain range, was going to be "brutal," but she will be supported by 20 other people, including her husband."I'm slowly starting to paint the world purple," she said, in reference to the colour of the charity, and the number of places she has been to in her fundraising quest.Having thought a decade ago she would not see her children's next birthday, she said she hoped her drive to move forward against the odds had inspired them.Her team of cyclists - dubbed Andrea's AMMF Army - are set to arrive in India on Thursday, which is World Cholangiocarcinoma Day.
Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
a day ago
- STV News
'Doctors thought I had gallstones - it turned out to be a rare liver cancer'
A Moray mum has described how a suspected case of gallstones turned out to be a rare form of liver cancer following a six-month wait for vital scans. Nikki Simpson, 52, who has cholangiocarcinoma, says her symptoms were dismissed despite several visits to her GP clinic in pain. Tests revealed a 10cm tumour on her liver in September 2024. She has since undergone 15 rounds of chemotherapy and is now receiving immunotherapy. Now, Nikki is supporting a national campaign to raise awareness of the signs of the disease. She told STV News: 'It's very difficult to diagnose, but I went with several different symptoms of the disease. 'I had a lot of pain underneath my right ribs, changing bowel habits, and darker urine. 'I wasn't jaundiced – which is one of the main symptoms – possibly one of the reasons why it was missed. 'Because there's not enough awareness of the disease – both among patients and health professionals – it was fobbed off for six months.' Husband Neill added: 'Whether that could have made the difference or not, we'll never know.' Once classed as rare, cholangiocarcinoma is now on the rise amongst younger people, with six in 100,000 Scots developing the disease. STV News Nikki Simpson hopes to raise awareness of cholangiocarcinoma Vague symptoms such as pain under the right rib, tiredness, pale stools and dark urine mean it's difficult to diagnose and often not until it's too late for treatment. Nikki joined campaigners and health professionals at a reception held at Holyrood to press politicians to fund more research into treatment for cholangiocarcinoma. 'You put you're trust in the professionals, but if things are taking six months, it could unfortunately be too late,' she said. 'My disease is stabilised, which is the best we can hope for. I'm hoping the immunotherapy will keep it at bay for longer.' Liver cancer charity AMMF says it wants more GPs to be aware of the signs and urges people who are concerned to ask their doctor for a liver function test. AMMF CEO Helen Morement said: 'We ask GPs just to be aware that these vague symptoms could add up to something serious and if there's the slightest suspicion, run a liver function test.' 'It's just a blood test and it will show if the liver results are raised and if so, then start investigating.' Public health minister Jenni Minto has agreed to consider the case for tests which explore if patients are eligible for immunotherapy treatments which can delay the cancer's progress. The Simpsons say they don't want anyone else to have to suffer life-changing delays for a diagnosis. Neill said: 'If we can help someone else going forward, that's going to be in our position, that can only be a good thing. 'We want to raise awareness to stop this from happening to other families.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
'Healthy' 38 year-old reveals only sign of bowel cancer he noticed in the bathroom - and it wasn't blood in the loo
A father-of-one who was diagnosed with a rare form of bowel cancer has urged others not to dismiss a little-known embarrassing sign of the disease. Dave Paxton, from Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire, began to notice his stools were darker in colour at the beginning of this year. But it was only after a pharmacist asked him a routine question as he was ordering a repeat prescription in February that he flagged the issue. Prompted by the chemist who said 'do you have any other concerns' after requesting anxiety medication, the 38-year-old said he revealed his stool concern, which he would never have visited the doctor to discuss. Referred to the GP, tests days later showed he had duodenal cancer—a rare type of bowel cancer that forms in the small intestine, called the duodenum. A CT scan then revealed he was suffering a grade four squamous cell tumour, meaning it had spread to other parts of his body — specifically his liver and pancreas. A squamous cell tumour of the duodenum, which develops in the lining of the small intestine, is so rare Mr Paxton reportedly accounts for one of just 22 cases confirmed worldwide to date. Doctors, however, cannot give him a prognosis and he is currently undergoing gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy to prevent the tumour from growing. Recalling his heartbreaking diagnosis, Mr Paxton said: 'This is terrifying and the treatment side effects are horrendous, but I'm very grateful to the pharmacist for checking in with me. 'I had noticed but wasn't thinking much of it. 'The diagnosis was such a shock. All I could think about was my son, I just burst into tears. 'But I also knew I had to get on with it. The cancer is so rare they just can't say how long I have, only that they are treating me to prolong my life. 'One of the nurses was so helpful, he just said "you can beat this'", go home and put on music, do the things you enjoy, don't lie down and give up.' There are around 44,000 cases of bowel cancer every year in the UK and 142,000 in the US, making it the fourth most common cancer in both countries. But cases are rising in young people, an alarming trend that experts have linked to modern diets, chemical exposure and lifestyles. Symptoms often include changes in bowel movements such as consistent and new diarrhoea or constipation, needing or feeling the need to poo more or less frequently and blood in the stool. Stomach pain, a lump in the stomach, bloating, unexpected weight-loss and fatigue are among other signs. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact their GP for advice. Since his diagnosis in March, Mr Paxton has undergone two months of chemotherapy and has just started radiotherapy. He also requires blood transfusions every four days. He is having his treatment funded through a workplace private health insurance policy. But, given duodenal squamous-cell tumours are so rare, there have been no trials for the success of immunotherapy, so he can't get this treatment on his health insurance or the NHS. He is currently fundraising the £180,000 needed for 24 sessions. To date, he has raised £43,202 on GoFundMe. Mr Paxton said: 'It all feels very scary, and it's a constant and exhausting battle every day. 'They [the doctors] don't know how I got it so young, they just said it's "bad luck".' He added: 'Unless you've been through something like this, you really don't understand how precious life is. 'I just want as much time as I can get with my family.' Mr Paxton's awful ordeal comes as experts continue to warn of a disturbing rise in bowel cancers in under 50s, which has baffled doctors around the globe. The disease, the third most common cancer in the UK, killed Dame Deborah James at age 40 in 2022. Although the vast majority of diagnoses affect those aged over 50, rates in older age-groups has either declined or held stable while diagnoses in younger adults have risen by 50 per cent over the last 30 years. Cancer Research UK estimates that over half (54 per cent) of bowel cancer cases in the UK are preventable.
BBC News
11-06-2025
- BBC News
Frustration over delayed health care centre for Burntwood
A councillor has said she is disappointed with a lack of progress on a new health centre in Staffordshire, while the current facility operates in a portable Health Centre, Salters Meadow Practice and the Darwin branch practice in Chasetown are to relocate, under plans which were expected to be submitted in councillor Sue Woodward told a meeting at Lichfield District Council there had been "delay upon delay upon delay" for the £10.7m local Integrated Care Board (ICB) has described the new building as a priority. The meeting of the overview and scrutiny meeting heard pressure was being applied to Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB for a meeting, and it was understood that a recent change in personnel has contributed to some of the plans, the centre would have treatment rooms, waiting area, showers and office space and was expected to be completed by December to the ICB - which was awarded £1.1m for a new primary health centre by the council in February - the base was a top five priority and would be future-proof until Burntwood Health and Wellbeing Centre is operating out of a portable Udall said the application was still nowhere to be seen."There's still no planning application for the new health centre. It was supposed to be submitted by the end of April – it still hasn't been submitted."At the very least we need to know what the planning application is going to look like. It obviously is not going to be completed by the end of 2025 now and it would take some time to go through the planning process. "So it's not likely to even start until next year. So delay upon delay upon delay." This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
