'I live with cancer; I don't let it stop me': Diana's determined walk to give back to Sue Ryder

Diana, 75, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2019 after years of health problems, including severe osteoarthritis, heart disease and severe spine problems. Aggressive immunotherapy treatment left one of her lungs no longer working and the other permanently scarred, meaning she now needs oxygen whenever she moves.

Despite that, Diana, from Oakworth, spent months preparing for the challenge through gym sessions at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, and completed the mile walk at Yeadon Tarn on Saturday 27th June.

Surrounded by friends and family, it took her just short of three hours to complete, with a refuel break halfway through.

"I can't volunteer. I'm not well, I'm not fit and strong enough. So, the only way I could think of helping was to raise money."

Diana's connection to Sue Ryder stretches back decades. Her mother received support from Sue Ryder before dying from cancer in 1983, while her aunt was later cared for by the charity after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.

More recently, her sister Barbara received inpatient care at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice to help get her symptoms under control, before she died in March.

Since December 2022, three of Diana's siblings have died, as well as her husband Geoff, aged 78, after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Diana said she and Geoff both benefited from counselling provided by Sue Ryder before and after his death.

"I've lost three siblings and my husband in the last few years," she said.

"It's devastating, and the support of Manorlands has been invaluable in helping me cope with that, both mentally and physically."

The hospice has also helped Diana manage the impact of her own diagnosis, with rehabilitation sessions improving her strength and breathing.

"If I hadn't been going to the gym, I wouldn't have been able to do the training for the walk. I wouldn't have been able to do the walk," she said.

"They help you to live the time you've got left well, to keep you fit and strong, and in the right frame of mind."

Diana, who raised more than £1,172 for Sue Ryder, said completing the walk proved her illness would not stop her from achieving things. She started training for the walk in October last year, with her sister Jane joining her on a weekly basis for sessions at the Airedale Centre in Keighley and at Yeadon Tarn.

Diana's efforts will help fund Sue Ryder's vital care, from hospice services including Manorlands Hospice, to care provided in people's own homes and bereavement support, offering hope, dignity and kindness when it matters most.

"A lot of people stop living because they've got cancer. I live with cancer," she said.

"The way to live with it is to pretend you haven't got it. Acknowledge the fatigue, manage the fatigue, but do what you can when you can, while you can."