A 22-year-old Rochdale cancer patient is to mark her recovery from a rare form of the disease by participating in The Christie charity’s Walk of Hope on Saturday.
Ashleigh O’Hara, from Littleborough, was just two months in to an English Language degree at Edge Hill University when she was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare form of head and neck cancer. She was just 19 at the time.
It was at The Christie hospital in Manchester where Ashleigh received intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy that saved her life.
Ashleigh said: “I’d started having all sorts of problems with my sinuses and had horrendous pain down one side of my face. Then I noticed a lump in my neck that got bigger in a matter of days.
“I had a feeling then that something wasn’t right but you never expect to hear the words cancer when you’re still a teenager. I was in absolute shock and the news didn’t really sink in.”
Ashleigh even spent her 20th birthday in hospital but in July 2011 received the good news that she was in remission.
Ashleigh said: “It was a massive relief and I can’t really put it into words how that felt. The Christie is just an amazing place. Everyone from the doctors and nurses to the staff in the canteen. I just can’t fault it. I owe my life to them and they will forever hold a very special place in my heart.”
To thank The Christie for the care she received, Ashleigh has begun fundraising for the hospital.
The Walk of Hope on September 21 is a 10k walk through the grounds of Tatton Park. It is to honour the courage of those battling cancer and to remember those who have lost their fight.
For Ashleigh it is a chance to thank The Christie for the treatment she received and to raise vital funds for the hospital.
She said: “I want to raise as much money as possible from here on in as my way of giving something back. The Walk of Hope will be so poignant for me and a great way to start my fundraising.”
Ashleigh will be taking part in the walk with her mum Joanne and both their donations will go together to The Christie.
Emma Tilley, Sporting events development manager at The Christie Charity, said: “Ashleigh has been incredibly brave to go through all this at such a young age. We’re thrilled that she’s taking part in the Walk of Hope with her mum.”
Anybody wishing to support Ashleigh is encouraged to visit www.justgiving.co.uk/Ashleigh-O-Hara
Anyone who wishes to join The Christie at The Walk of Hope should contact their charity on 0161 446 3400 or visit www.christies.org/walkofhope
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