A wife has raised more than £1,000 for a cancer charity after her husband fought a horrible two-year battle against the disease.
The lives of Holland’s Pies workers Julie and Paul Ashworth, from Rising Bridge, were turned upside down when Paul was diagnosed with cancer two years ago.
Paul had to endure months of gruelling treatment in hospital to tackle tumours in his neck and tonsils, and had to have a feeding tube fitted as he was unable to eat while the treatment burnt the inside of his throat.
He got the all-clear in May 2016 only for it to return in September, requiring an operation to cut his nerves in his neck and remove his tonsils.
As they hope the cancer is now finally in remission, Julie decided to take on the Great Manchester Run for Macmillan, raising more than £1,100 in recognition of Paul’s ‘second chance’.
Julie, 50, said: “It’s been difficult but I feel he’s been given a second chance in life and some people don’t get this chance.
“I decided in January that I would do something for Macmillan and signed myself up and my friend Alex Mason to do the 10km run in Manchester.
“I’ve never been a runner and knew that it would be hard for me, so I started training.
“The day arrived and because of the terrible news at Manchester Arena I decided to run with a pink heart balloon for the people who lost their lives.”
The couple, who have been married for 22 years, both work at the famous Baxenden pie firm where 52-year-old Paul is a delivery driver and Julie cleans the machines.
Julie added: “He has been doing two days at work but it’s hard because he can only lift his left arm so far. Holland’s are supporting him 100 per cent, I am so grateful for how patient they are being with him.
“He has put weight on and eating like a horse.”
Following his diagnosis in October 2015, Julie supported Paul through six weeks of aggressive treatment which involved 30 sessions of radiotherapy every day and chemotherapy once a week.
Julie said: “It was so hard travelling every day to Preston but I just stayed by his side through all the treatment and continued to go to work every night.
“They told me to take time from work but I needed to have normality the best I could.
“He lost three and a half stone but we just wanted to get rid of the cancer.”
