Community rallies to help Worksop area hairdresser following shock terminal cancer diagnosis

Life turned to a traumatic rollercoaster of diagnoses for Whitwell hairdresser Rebekah Wood after episodes of severe tummy pain in September were finally diagnosed as bowel cancer on October 7 this year.

During one trip to A&E, the 41-year old mum was told it was likely that she had severe constipation.

After undergoing surgery on October 15 to remove a tumour, Rebekah, 41, was relieved when further tests showed the cancer had not spread to her liver or lymph nodes.

But her relief was short lived as it was then discovered the cancer had grown through her bowel wall to the peritoneum and omentum.

On November 5 she was told her stage four cancer was terminal, with a life expectancy of five years, depending on how effective her chemotherapy treatment is.

Rebekah, who lives in Clowne and is married to Dale, with sons Jacob and Oliver aged nine and 10, said: "They might have told me I'm terminal but I am absolutely not accepting that as my future.

"There may be another option as I have been referred to a specialist team at Basingstoke Hospital. They can sometimes do a massive operation to remove cancer deposits from inside the abdomen - it's called the mother of all operations with good reason, as they take everything they possibly can.

"It's not suitable for everyone and I don't yet know whether they'll be able to do it for me.

"But I am not ready to leave my children and I'm going to do everything humanly possible to make sure I don't."

Rebekah, who will start her chemo treatment later this month, is thankful to all her friends and family for their ongoing support, and to the many villagers who have known her for years, whether through her hairdressing salon in Whitwell, or her many community involvements.

She is charting her 'journey' on social media, and also praised the 'compassionate, caring and wonderful' medics at Sheffield's Weston Park Hospital who she says were devastated for her, when explaining her situation.

She added: “It’s been a really, really rough ride from September 17 when this all started, through to diagnosis on October 7.

"I think colonoscopies should be done from the age of 30, not 50, as there’s been a huge increase in cases of bowel cancer in people aged under 50. We need to be finding it sooner.”

People are rallying to help the family, including friend Natalie Wood, 36, of Creswell, who said Rebekah was her first client when she opened her business, Waggy Walks.

Natalie has organised a three-hour fundraising walk on Saturday, November 21, at 11am, for dogs and owners, from Creswell to Poolsbrook. Anyone is welcome to join with dogs on leads, for a fee of £15.

All funds raised will go to the family and could be used for further treatment for Rebekah.

Natalie said: "We all want to try and help. The local football team is fundraising, and we are planning a big raffle which we hope local businesses will contribute to.

"Rebekah is one of the strongest people I know, and we are all hopeful she will find a way through this."