Cancer victim Katherine's £3,500 thank you (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Cancer victim Katherine's £3,500 thank you

A BOURTON-on-the-Water woman has raised £3,500 for the centre where she was treated after contracting breast cancer at the age of 22.

Katherine Adams, now aged 23, decided to raise the money for Cheltenham General Hospital's Oncology Unit because she was so impressed by the way she was treated at its Breast Clinic.

Miss Adams (pictured) endured five-and-a-half months of chemotherapy, a mastectomy in October and 15 radiotherapy sessions at the clinic, where doctors have been unable to discover why such a young woman contracted breast cancer.

Her fundraising was assisted by her parents, Jim and Helen Adams, as well as her partner, Andy Pulham, and his mother, Dorothy Pulham.

They raised the money, for the Oncology Centre Users and Supporters group, by holding a social event at Barrington Village Hall where the attractions included a meal, music and a raffle, the prizes in which were weekend breaks at the bed and breakfast establishments Mrs Adams and Mrs Pulham run.

Miss Adams, who presented the cheque to the unit on Tuesday, said: "It's very rare to contract breast cancer at the age of 22. I don't know what the odds are. I'm not a regular smoker.

"I was obviously very, very shocked when I found out and there was a period when I felt absolutely devastated.

"But after a couple of days, I just adopted the approach that I couldn't do anything about it and I just had to get on with things the best I could.

"The support from my family was really important. I don't think I would have been so strong without it."

The ex-Burford School pupil studied psychology at Northampton's University College and now works with homeless adolescents in Oxford.