The Manchester family from Ormskirk are taking part in an illuminating event for Cancer Research UK as a tribute to husband and dad Paul, who died in January.

Kath Manchester and her children Cora, 22 and 19-year-old Patrick will take part in the charity’s 10k Shine Night Walk that's returning to Liverpool next month.

It was in December 2018 when Paul, who was 56 when he died, first went to see his GP after his wife Kath had noticed a spot on his back that didn’t go away.

The chartered accountant was referred for tests and it was confirmed that he had stage two melanoma. Sadly the devastating news continued when further tests showed the cancer had unfortunately spread to Paul’s lungs and liver and had progressed to stage four.

Kath, 55, also a chartered accountant, said: “It took Paul a little while to go to the doctors with his spot, particularly a spot he couldn’t see it himself, but he went and when they said it was cancer he was scared, we all were.

"He was particularly scared of the treatment making him unable to work, he loved working, he was very clever.

“When they told us it was already quite progressed, we were also going through my Dad dying of lymphoma in June 2019 so it was such a lot for us to deal with all at once.”

Paul faced two years of treatment at Clatterbridge’s Lilac Centre in St Helen’s, including immunotherapy and chemotherapy, but the cancer finally spread to his brain last August and sadly in January he died at home surrounded by his family.

Kath added: “Paul was one of those people who just made you laugh, he was a character and always made people smile and we miss him dreadfully. It has been six months now, but it’s still hard for all of us.

“I am so thankful for the three years we got with him after he was diagnosed, and for the wonderful oncology team who helped make that happen. For the most part he was well, the treatment worked, and he had a good quality of life, lots of people didn’t even know he was ill at all, and he was still working right up until last August.

"We had some lovely family times together as well; we went on several holidays and spent more time at home all together during lockdown, which I’m so grateful for.

“Patrick says that Dad wasn’t Dad after our last family holiday to Aviemore in Scotland last summer which turned into the holiday from hell when Paul started having seizures. He was rushed to Inverness hospital, and we were told the cancer had spread to his brain.

"On our return Paul was referred to the new Liverpool Cancer Centre and underwent whole brain radiotherapy treatment at the Clatterbridge Centre, at Aintree Hospital, followed by further immunotherapy.

“He then had one last Christmas and thankfully by then he was well enough to enjoy it but sadly he just went downhill after that.”

In memory of Paul, Kath and the couple’s children will take part in the Liverpool Shine event on Friday 9 September joined by several other friends and family members.

Entries for the 10k event are open now and the family hope people of all abilities will step up and follow in her footsteps to raise money for life-saving research.

Kath added: “The event will hopefully be something for us to focus on and something fun for us to do together as a family. It’s thanks to research and break throughs in new treatments that we had those extra few years with Paul. So many people are affected by cancer so we want to raise money in the hope of even more treatments in the future.

“Ihope that sharing our story will help inspire people to sign up for the Shine Night Walk. There really is no better motivation than knowing you’re helping to save lives. Everyone can take part at their own pace, it doesn’t matter how fast you go. The most important thing is raising money.”

Liverpool is one of just 19 locations across the UK selected to host a Shine Night Walk in 2022 and anyone who signs up between 22-30 August can claim 30 per cent off the entry fee by using code SNWAUG30.

The event starts at The Beatles Pier Head at 8pm, when participants will take to the city’s streets in a fun and inspirational parade of light that - stride by stride - will help the charity get closer to beating cancer.

Passing some of Liverpool’s famous landmarks the route takes you under the Chinatown Gate, around Liverpool Cathedral and through Liverpool University.

Participants can choose to raise money for the area of research closest to their hearts – including prostate cancer, breast cancer, bowel cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, brain tumours, children’s cancers and leukaemia - or can simply give their backing to Cancer Research UK’s overall work.

Every year around 44,900 people are diagnosed with cancer in theNorth West.* But, thanks to research, more people than ever across the UK are surviving for 10 years or more.

2022 marks 20 years since Cancer Research UK was formed and, in celebration, the charity is paying tribute to its supporters for the part they have played in this progress.

Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the North West, Jemma Humphreys, said: “One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime, but all of us can help beat it.** As we mark our anniversary, we want to thank Kath and people across Merseyside for their incredible commitment to events like Shine Night Walk that make our life-saving work possible.

“That’s why we’re urging everyone to pull on their trainers, grab their glowsticks and raise vital funds. Whether people walk for someone they know or to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured, every step -from the Albert Dock to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and beyond- will help the charity to go further in the fight against this devastating disease.

“From proving the link between smoking and cancer to laying the foundations for modern radiotherapy – our scientists have been at the forefront of cancer research for 120 years. And we’re not stopping now. Together, we will beat cancer.”

Supporters of all abilities can take part in Shine Night Walk and training advice is available on the website.10k is just over 6 miles and takes between 1.5 to 3 hours to complete. Participants can go at their own pace, from a leisurely stroll to a lively stride or a full-on power walk passing the city’s well-loved landmarks.

People can also show their support by volunteering on the night and becoming a beacon in the dark to help participants take on the challenge. From guiding supporters around the city to helping set up the course, there are lots of opportunities to get involved.

Last year Cancer Research UK was able to spend around £33m in the North West on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research. Research happening right now in Liverpool includes developing a new tool to spot mouth cancer early, improving treatment for people with follicular lymphoma and finding new ways to catch pancreatic cancer sooner.

To enter or volunteer visit shinewalk.org

*Based on the average annual number of new cases of all cancers combined excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (ICD10 C00-C97 excluding C44) diagnosed inthe?North West?Regionof England in 2019. Source:NCRAS (part of NHS Digital) Cancer registration statistics, England, 2019.???


** Ahmad AS et al.?Trends in the lifetime risk of developing cancer in Great Britain: Comparison of risk for those born?from?1930 to 1960.?Br J Cancer?2015;bjc.2014:606.??