Shildon mother-of-two, Victoria Cross, who received the devastating news last month that she had cancer, has donated her hair to a charity providing wigs for children battling the disease.
Victoria, who is just 24 and has twin boys aged five, was diagnosed with lung cancer after a series of visits to her GP and to hospital which had initially identified asthma or pneumonia as the likely cause of her breathlessness and bad cough.
She said: “When I was told I had cancer my whole world came crashing down. We have been told that the prognosis for lung cancer isn’t good – I have a one in three chance of survival. We were told lung cancer usually spreads to the brain, so straight after treatment to the lung I will need treatment on my brain.”
Within two weeks of her first dose of chemo her hair began to fall out and Victoria, who has been taking evening classes at Bishop Auckland College to retrain as a hairdresser, was told by tutors that a previous student receiving chemotherapy had donated her hair to The Little Princess Trust.
The brave mum-of-two decided to do the same and have her long hair braided by college hairdressing students before being cut and sent to the Hove-based charity.
Victoria also praised Macmillan Cancer Care, saying the charity’s emotional and practical support had been “amazing”.
Donations can be made to her fundraising appeal via justgiving.com/Victoria-Cross2015.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
