n Winning the race: Cheryl is proud to have beaten cancer.
By Michelle Norris
AN inspirational mother from Canvey Island will be taking part in Southend’s Race for Life this weekend to say thank you for the care and support she received from Cancer Research UK.
After being diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma seven years ago, Cheryl Clark thought that her life was over.
“Cancer is the one word that will make your heart sink,” says Cheryl, who lives in Hilversum Way. “Once you hear that word, it’s all you think about.”
Seven years ago, Cheryl made an appointment at the Doctor’s after discovering a lump in the base of her neck, the size of a marble.
“I went to the Doctor’s the next day thinking that they’d just give me some antibiotics,” admits Cheryl, who had never heard of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Disease. “But the Doctor sent me straight off for blood tests and a biopsy, which came back positive for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.”
Hodkin’s Lymphoma is a form of cancer, which affects the lymph node glands around the body and is most commonly found in the neck.
When Cheryl’s results came back positive, she discovered that she actually had Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which meant that the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes on both sides of the diaphragm.
“It was such a shock because I’d had no other symptoms other than the lump,” says 37-year-old Cheryl.
“But after I’d got over the shock, I realised that I had to treat it like any other illness and just get on with it. I was so scared that I would lose my hair through the chemo though. I even cut it really short and bought myself a wig just in case!”
Luckily, Cheryl managed to keep 40% of her hair, however, struggling to care for her 18-month-old son, Aaron, she admits that going through chemotherapy was her lowest point.
“It was really hard, but I just kept thinking about my son and in a way, he really helped to keep me going,” she says. “I kept thinking what it would be like for him if I didn’t make it and I knew that I had to get through it for him.”
And after six months in chemotherapy, Cheryl was relieved to discover that 90% of the cancer was gone.
“That was such a great feeling,” she smiles. “But being in remission is difficult. Most of the time it doesn’t feel like it happened to me, but there are times when I’m reminded and it brings it all back.”
And even though chemotherapy supposedly damages your fertility, Cheryl and her husband David were delighted when she gave birth to their son Joshua.
“I never thought I’d be able to have another child after chemotherapy,” she admits.
“Everyone told me that I wouldn’t be able to, but four years ago I gave birth to my beautiful Joshua.”
And now, Cheryl is looking forward to Sunday, when she’ll be racing with thousands of women at the Garon Park’s Race for Life event and is hoping that her story will help to inspire others to take part.
“Having cancer doesn’t mean what it used to,” says the proud mother-of-two. “Thirty years ago I may not have survived and it’s all down to the hard work that goes into Cancer Research.”
To find out more, or sign up for Race for Life, visit www.raceforlife.org. To sponsor Cheryl, visit www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/cherylc.