Grim irony for mother in cancer shock

A LEEDS mother completed a fundraising run inspired by her ex-husband's battle with cancer only to discover the first signs of the disease herself.

On the day Sarah Crowther completed 5km in The Race for Life last year she felt unwell. Back home afterwards she felt a pain and found a lump in her breast. The 41-year-old contacted her GP and subsequent tests showed she had cancer.

"What made me cry was saying to the doctor 'I cannot have cancer, because what are my girls going to do because their dad has got cancer as well?'," she said.

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But Mrs Crowther, a mother-of-five, of Pudsey, Leeds, remains determined to help others.

This year she has again signed up for the Cancer Research

UK challenge at Temple Newsam, Leeds, in June – which is taking place just weeks after the end of her breast cancer treatment.

Despite her illness, she will double the distance and walk 10km, with her three daughters by her side.

"My eldest girls have both parents and a grandfather suffering with cancer," she said.

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Mrs Crowther's former husband, Chris Deighton, was diagnosed with cancer in November 2008.

It was this news that inspired her, and daughters, Emma, 21, and Laura, 18, to tackle the 5km route last year with Chris's wife, also called Emma, and mother

Joan.

Another member of the family, grandfather Chris, has had prostate cancer too.

Mrs Crowther, who has three children with husband Andy, daughter, Holly, 14, and 13-year-old twins Thomas and James, has undergone surgery and

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eight cycles of chemotherapy, and will start radiotherapy at St James's Hospital, Leeds, next month.

Temptations beauty salon in Pudsey is supporting her efforts and raised 140 with a raffle.

Race for Life in Leeds is on June 19 and 20, with three 5km events and one 10km route. Enter at www.raceforlife.org or by calling 0871 6411111.