A Belton woman whose father and partner both had prostate cancer is putting on a fundraiser to help find a cure.
Louise Clarke said her loved ones were lucky as their cancers were detected early. Her partner, Tony Fenton, and dad, Tony Clarke, were diagnosed with prostate cancer within months of each other. Her partner, who received treatment at the James Paget University Hospital, has now received the all clear, while her dad is in recovery after receiving radium treatment at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.
Louise, 46, said waiting to find out if the treatments had worked was like 'being in limbo' and hard for the whole family, which is why she wants to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK and help fund research into finding a cure.
'One of the worries with this cancer is that, because of where it is, it could spread to the bowel or the bones so they have to test for a whole range of things,' said Louise.
'Something like one in eight men are affected in the UK and it doesn't just affect older men. My partner is in his early 50s and dad is 68 and when he was at hospital he saw guys in their 30s too.
'They were lucky really as it was caught quite early. Dad had complained of a pain in his back. He had a kidney stone and while investigating that they found the prostate was enlarged.
'My partner has diabetes and got an early diagnosis because it was detected while they were doing blood tests for something else. Not everyone is that lucky.'
On May 26, Louise will host a fun dog show at Haddiscoe Village Hall, with 20 classes, a raffle and trade stands.
She is hoping dogs of all shapes and sizes will take part and enter the categories which range from the best moustache (on dog or handler) to best pedigree for the more competitive.
Louise is a cocker spaniel breeder who shares her Belton home with six spaniels, aged from nine months to 13 years, as well as partner Tony.
Entries to the dog show will be accepted from 10am with judging from 11am.
For more information, including details on how to donate raffle prizes or sponsor a class, call Louise on 01493 781410.
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