Sharon's Challenge

Sharon Harris, a councillor on Warrington Borough and Appleton Parish councils, saw her mother Anne Kirwan suffer for two years with all the classic symptoms of the disease, which was only diagnosed a matter of days before she died in September 2011.

In November she will be undertaking the Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek - trekking for 5 days (up to 7 hours a day) at altitude and camping overnight, to raise awareness for Pancreatic Cancer as the survival rates have not changed in 40 years.



Sharon said: "My lovely mum was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the end of September 2011 - just days before she died. She had been ill for the previous two years and had been sent from one medical pillar to another medical post - all the time she was suffering with the classic pancreatic cancer signs such as loss of appetite, changes in her bowel habits, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss. No one thought to test for pancreatic cancer!

"Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon story and most people who are diagnosed with it receive a late diagnosis and few people survive 5 years. The statistics for pancreatic cancer have hardly changed over the last 40 years and it is a devastating diagnosis. GP's do not consider testing for pancreatic cancer so we need to increase their awareness and train them to think of it first.

"My mother's experience made me so cross as the quality of the last two years we had together was compromised - we couldn't talk about what we didn't know and we couldn't say the things we wanted to say.

"So please consider sponsoring me by hosting an information morning to promote the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer so that even one person can receive an early diagnosis and an improved quality of life.

"It doesn't matter when you do it - just get some friends together and spread the word.

Sharon added: "I am doing this challenge as it is at altitude - the event organisers list it as challenging and what will be even more challenging for me is that it involves an element of camping so no hairdryers and hair straighteners!!"