A MUM and daughter who have both been treated for bowel cancer have called on women to support life-saving research by signing up to a charity run.

Ailsa McDonagh, 37, and her mum Angela Hughes, 63, hope to inspire women to sign up for Cancer Research UK's Race for Life.

The pair are keen to highlight the connection between taking part in the race and helping save lives by funding work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. 

Ailsa, who lives in Colne, with her husband Alex and two young children, is planning to complete the 5k supported by her mum.

She said: “I’m so proud to sign up to Race for Life and I can’t wait to cross the finish line.  

“My experience means I understand all too clearly why Cancer Research UK’s work is so important. "It’s thanks to all the mums, grans, daughters and friends who take part in Race for Life and help fund vital research that Cancer Research

"UK’s scientists and doctors can continue to make strides forward in their efforts to beat the disease. "That’s why I’m calling on women in East Lancashire to join the fight and sign up today.”

Ailsa, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in October 2015 and was treated with surgery and chemotherapy.?

As she was very young to have developed bowel cancer, her doctors suspected there might be a genetic link and offered family routine scans.

And Ailsa’s mum Angela’s scan showed she had the same type of cancer as Ailsa and so also had to undergo surgery and chemotherapy.

Ailsa has needed further treatment for a rare form of ovarian tumour which spread from her bowel, including a full hysterectomy and HIPEC (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy) at The Christie in Manchester.? 

She said: “My children were only one and three at the time I was diagnosed.

"People kept saying to me they didn’t know how I was coping with treatment and the children, but they were my reason to keep getting up in the morning.?

"I also had lots of support from my husband Alex and from some amazing friends and family.

"Since being so ill, my priorities have changed and now I’m just hoping for a quiet life – I don’t want anything exciting to happen at all! My last two scans have been clear which

is a huge relief.?

"We’ve got a holiday to Cornwall booked for this summer and my daughter starts school in September – I’m so looking forward to seeing that as at times I didn’t think I’d be seeing any of those milestones for my children.”

“Watching my mum going through the same diagnosis was really hard.??

"Although my mum, my sister Holly and I are all very close, we’d obviously never wanted or expected to go through this experience together.?

“Mum and I spoke almost every day – and still do.?

"We talked about our medication and the side effects from treatment; about our favourite (and least favourite) consultants; about how to talk to family and friends and about how we lost some relationships and how others thrived.?

“We talked about which hospitals had the best parking, about chemo brain, about the effects of being on steroids, about worries that my sister would have with two poorly relatives.?

"We talked about our skin cracking with dryness and both bought moisturiser in bulk, about our mouths hurting and which mouthwash was best or whether or not we should just eat lots of pineapple. "We spoke about boredom and pains and tiredness”.  

Ailsa added: “It’s still difficult to accept what’s happened – I think our whole family sees the entire period of illness as a bit unreal.?

"Certainly, the support and humour - there have been a lot of laughs - have got us through it and

"I think we are all looking forward to focusing on quality time with each other from now on. 

“At the moment, everything’s OK.?

"I’m back running and managed a 5k a couple of months ago – my time was terrible, but at least I did it and I’m improving all the time!?

"It will be great to take part in Race for Life and join a formidable force of women who are so motivated to help raise money and give their all to the cause. 

“I know that research has the power to save lives and every woman who crosses the finish line at a Race for Life event is bringing us one step closer to the day when all cancers are cured.”

Money raised through Race for Life helps Cancer Research UK to fund long-term research and pioneering trials, leading to new tests and kinder treatments which could save the lives of people across the North West and beyond.

Cancer Research UK research and clinical trials have helped doctors use the drug tamoxifen to its full potential, revolutionising treatment and prevention of breast cancer and boosting survival. And the charity’s early research work helped develop cisplatin, which is now used to treat testicular and other types of cancer.

Blackburn's Race for Life takes place at Witton Park in Blackburn on Wednesday, June 27.

To enter Race for Life today, visit www.raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.