Brave Heather Duff who is fighting cancer for a second time is urging Scots to unite with some of the brightest stars from TV, film and radio to help save lives.
Heather, 32, was chosen as the face of Stand Up To Cancer in Scotland this autumn after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, four years after overcoming cervical cancer. Heather who lives in Winchburgh near Edinburgh with her husband Gordon Duff,37, endured surgery in September to remove a tumour and faces a second operation in December. Her miniature dashund dog Parsnip has barely left her side through it all and Heather’s story has inspired people across the nation to raise vital funds for Stand Up To Cancer.
Celebrities including Davina McCall, Alan Carr, Adam Hills, Joel Dommett and Kirstie Allsopp are also backing Stand Up To Cancer, a joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4. Viewers can tune into Channel 4 this Friday (October 26) from 7pm as stars from the worlds of entertainment; music and sport send themselves up, doing their bit in the fight against cancer. The live extravaganza is heaving at the seams with celebrity packed sketches and tear-jerking moments.
Video: Stand up to Cancer: Heather, who is fighting cancer for the second time, shares some of her journey
Stand Up To Cancer aims to speed up the translation of brilliant scientific discoveries to help get new, better, kinder tests and treatments to cancer patients, faster. Heather Duff who has reached out to other people by recording her blog, www.fucancer.co.uk knows exactly how vital advances in research are.
Heather said: “I’ll do anything I can to help bring forward the day when we find a cure for cancer.
“There are times when cancer feels overwhelming but most days I am strong. I hate cancer. I really hate what cancer does to people’s lives. I hate the pressure cancer puts families under and I hate seeing the people I love worry.”
Heather hoped to have put her days of cancer behind her after overcoming cervical cancer following being diagnosed aged 27 in 2014. A talented hockey player, she was back training weekly, ran the London marathon and started a new job as a fundraising manager for Cancer Research UK. But in the early hours of the morning on May 16 this year she woke to find three paramedics in her bedroom and her husband Gordon by her side.
Photo: Heather Duff, post surgery, with her beloved dog Parsnip ahead of a walk around the hospital grounds
The couple were taken to St John’s Hospital in Livingston where a CT scan revealed Heather had suffered a seizure triggered by what doctors described as a lesion on her brain. More tests led to a diagnosis on May 18 of a 4cm brain tumour on the right side of her brain. On September 3 at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, Heather endured surgery to remove the tumour. More tests have now revealed another tumour so Heather faces surgery again this December.
Stand Up To Cancer has raised £38 million since it was launched in the UK in 2012. The funding is used for clinical trials and projects which accelerate the development of new cancer treatments and tests, to help patients and ultimately save more lives.
Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK spokeswoman for Scotland, said: “The good news is more people are surviving than ever before, but too many lives are still cut short by this devastating disease. That’s why we need everyone in Scotland to stand up and help take cancer out.
“Every day our scientists and researchers are working tirelessly to beat the disease. But research in the lab alone won’t get us there. We need to raise some serious cancer-crushing cash to speed up breakthroughs from the petri dish into better treatments for patients.
“By supporting Stand Up To Cancer people could help to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. The more people that join the fight now, the sooner we can beat cancer for everyone.”
A fun range of clothing and accessories for men, women and children is available online and at Cancer Research UK shops.
Exclusive Stand Up To Cancer virtual reality headsets are also available from WHSmith for a suggested donation of £2. With Olivia Colman and Stephen Fry as their personal guides, supporters can take a walk through Stand Up To Cancer’s incredible virtual worlds in full 360°, exploring ground-breaking science, walking with dinosaurs or meeting Stand Up To Cancer’s celebrity supporters including Danny Dyer, Kimberly Wyatt, Alexa Chung and more at the Celeb Hotel.
There is still time to get involved, visit standuptocancer.org.uk.