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Help make dying mum Angela's final wish come true
AFTER beating breast cancer once, South Tyneside mum Angela Flear was devastated when she was told it had returned – and this time it was terminal.
But the brave 45-year-old isn't the kind of person to sit around feeling sorry for herself. She still has things she wants to do.
"I've got my to-do list," said the civil servant, of Fieldway, Hedworth, Jarrow.
"Some of them are simple things, like getting through my treatment and having a good Christmas.
"Another important thing for me is to go to work each day, because I still feel quite well."
Her biggest wish, apart from to meet Irish boy band Westlife, is to raise as much money as possible for Cancer Research UK, starting with a sponsored run on Sunday – and the Gazette will be behind her all the way.
She said: "I don't know how long I have got, but my aim is to enjoy what time I have left and try to raise as much money as I can for my chosen charity."
Angela is taking part in the Relay for Life at Gateshead Stadium with family and friends, and they are also lining up a host of other fundraising events.
The mum of one said: "Our aim is to make about 3,000. I would say the run will raise nearly half of that, but we will keep going."
Julia Haran, a spokeswoman for Cancer Research UK in North East England, described Angela's courage in putting her illness aside to help others as "inspirational".
She said: "We are very grateful to Angela and her family and friends for supporting Cancer Research UK's Relay For Life.
"Angela's courage in coping with cancer is truly inspirational, as is the effort that she is dedicating to supporting the charity.
"It's thanks to commitment like this that Cancer Research UK is able to spend more than 3m each year in the north east, supporting the work of scientists, doctors and nurses dedicated to curing cancer by understanding its causes and investigating how best to prevent and treat it."
This is Angela's second battle against cancer, a disease which also claimed the life of her husband of 10 years, Peter, in 2001. She said: "I chose Cancer Research UK because people are affected by all types of cancer, and I think it's important that people are aware, and as much money is raised as possible.
"They are coming up with all sorts of cures all the time, and if what I raise can stop people going through what I've gone through, that can only be a good thing."
As well as fundraising, Angela has been making sure all her affairs are in order, from her funeral arrangements to care of her son Andrew, 15, a pupil at Boldon School.
"I have literally done everything I need to do in case something happens sooner rather than later," she said.
"My sister Jane and her husband Gordon are taking on Andrew, and I have even planned my own funeral, which Jane doesn't like at all, but it is done."
Angela has arranged to be buried with her parents in a plot at Jarrow Cemetery.
She was devastated when her mother, Gladys White, died suddenly 14 years ago, aged 50.
In 1998, her father George died of a heart attack, aged 55.
A bigger shock came six weeks later, when her sister, Mary Fairlamb, died at the age of 31.
She had deep vein thrombosis, which caused an embolism. Angela's husband was then diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour in 2000. Her heartache continued when she found a lump in her right breast three years ago and was told it was cancerous.
She had a mastectomy within days, but after more tests, doctors found it had spread to her lymph nodes, which meant she had to have chemotherapy for six months.
"They initially thought I needed radiotherapy as well, but decided against it," she said.
Angela was told there was a low risk of the cancer coming back, but still had check-ups and mammograms each year and kept checking for lumps herself. She was out of the two-year danger period when she found a lump in her chest in April.
"I thought I had my life back," she said. "Things were going brilliantly, and I had even met a new man, which I thought I would never do.
"I went back to the hospital and had a biopsy, CT scan, bone scan – you name it, I had it done.
"I was then told the cancer had returned, and it was now in some glands and my bones and lungs. I was told my condition was terminal and treatment would not cure it."
Angela started her fourth bout of chemotherapy at South Tyneside District Hospital this week and has two more to go. She is also taking part in a trial of the drug ibandronic acid to help strengthen her bones.
She said: "Anything they can do for me will prolong my life rather than cure me – unless they can keep me alive long enough for a new cure to come along."
To help make Angela's fundraising wish come true, you can send cheques, made payable to Northeast Press, to the Gazette at Chapter Row, South Shields, NE33 1BL, in envelopes marked 'Angela's Wish'.
A bigger shock came six weeks later, when her sister, Mary Fairlamb, died at the age of 31.
She had deep vein thrombosis, which caused an embolism. Angela’s husband was then diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour in 2000. Her heartache continued when she found a lump in her right breast three years ago and was told it was cancerous.
She had a mastectomy within days, but after more tests, doctors found it had spread to her lymph nodes, which meant she had to have chemotherapy for six months.
“They initially thought I needed radiotherapy as well, but decided against it,” she said.
Angela was told there was a low risk of the cancer coming back, but still had check-ups and mammograms each year and kept checking for lumps herself. She was out of the two-year danger period when she found a lump in her chest in Apri.
“I thought I had my life back,” she said. “Things were going brilliantly, and I had even met a new man, which I thought I would never do.
“I went back to the hospital and had a biopsy, CT scan, bone scan – you name it, I had it done.
“I was then told the cancer had returned, and it was now in some glands and my bones and lungs. I was told my condition was terminal and treatment would not cure it.”
Angela started her fourth bout of chemotherapy at South Tyneside District Hospital this week and has two more to go. She is also taking part in a trial of the drug ibandronic acid to help strengthen her bones.
She said: “Anything they can do for me will prolong my life rather than cure me – unless they can keep me alive long enough for a new cure to come along.”
n To help make Angela’s fundraising wish come true, you can send cheques, made payable to Northeast Press, to the Gazette at Chapter Row, South Shields, NE33 1BL, in envelopes marked ‘Angela’s Wish’.
angela.reed@northeast-press.co.uk
n Dying wish ... Page 6
FAMILY and friends are already working hard to make Angela’s dying wish come true.
The first thing they have organised is a team of 15 people, dubbed Gordon’s Gofers, to take part in the Relay for Life at Gateshead on Sunday.
Angela has vowed to take part, along with Gordon, Andrew, Steven and friends Christine Daggett and Patricia Powell.
Angela worked with Christine and Patricia at the Department of Social Security in Tyneview Park, Longbenton, North Tyneside, before moving to Jarrow Jobcentre, where her bosses and colleagues have been very supportive.
“When I started, there was another girl who had breast cancer and she died just before Christmas, so they have gone through it before and they are very supportive,” she said.
“A few of the girls have got a rota going to get me to and from the hospital for appointments and they stay with my while I have my treatment. Me and my family owe them our deepest thanks.”
Staff at the Jobcentre have decided to adopt Cancer Research UK as their official charity and are putting ideas together to raise money.
Heady
Heady
‘I don’t know how long I have got, but my aim is to enjoy what time I have left’
ANGELA and her family have been knocked down many times, but they just keep getting back up.
She and her sister, Jane Banks, have supported each other through the grief of losing three members of their immediate family, and their bond has never been stronger.
Angela said: “Since I have had my diagnosis, my sister has taken a lot of the burden, as I am limited as to what I can do.”
She and her son live with her sister and brother-in-law Gordon, 36, and their children, Joshua, 10, and Natasha, eight, both pupils at Hedworthfield Primary School.
Angela said: “We were always a very close family anyway. If you saw one of us, you saw the rest of us.
“This has really made me and Jane – and Gordon, who has been a brick – a lot closer.”
Her partner, Steven Head, 41, a customer care officer at Jarrow Jobcentre, has been equally supportive.
“It has been a real shock for Steven,” she said. “He’s seen me at my worst, and it’s taken him a while to get his head around it, but he’s very supportive and protective.”
Angela’s strength has amazed her family, although she still has her good days and bad days.
Jane said: “We’ve had that many tragedies we are used to getting back up.”
Andrew said: “I am surprised she’s the way she is because I thought she was going to be all glum and sad.”
However, Angela said: “Everybody keeps telling me ‘you are so brave. I don’t know
how I would cope,’ but I just think you have got to.”
By ANGELA REED
Chief reporter
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Weather for South Shields
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
