My father died of cancer many years ago, but he was able to live with me until he died because of the support we received from the Macmillan nurses. Without them we would not have been able to do this. Since then, I have known many people affected with cancer, and my younger sister has survived breast cancer.

My eldest daughter's partner, Mick Callear has recently been diagnosed with cancer for the fifth time.............it is terminal. They have 5 children residing with them aged from 3 months to 9 years. Mick will be having a part of his lung removed on the 27th July 2017, and this will be followed with chemotherapy to give him the best possible option of living with cancer for as long as possible.

The Macmillan nurses will be able to assist the family in caring for Mick at home and to ease the strain on the whole family in terms of just the simple day to day things that we all take for granted. Not only are they able to help with the medical aspect of things that may prove difficult for my daughter, but also help with cooking, cleaning, shopping and entertaining the children so that she can spend some time with Mick. This will also be important on such occasions when Mick is hospitalised and there are 5 children to care for.

The family will also be helping, but are constrained in being able to give him the care he needs. I know that the whole family feels helpless and want to do the best we possibly can to improve the quality of his life and that of his family. By shaving my head I feel that I can at least show how much I care and help the Macmillan nurses to be able to continue helping families affected by cancer.

Just as an end note, I would like to say that Mick has gone through cancer several times already and shows great resilience. He has never let it affect the way that he is or the love and happiness he shows his family. Even now he has faced the disease head on and returned to work straight after his diagnosis, and has never been self pitiful. He deserves to get through this with hope and dignity and have the best chance possible of living as normal a life as he is able for as long as possible.        

I shall be Braving the Shave on the 8th August 2017 @ 4pm at the Crewe office:  Hall Smith Whittingham, 172-174 Nantwich Road, Crewe, Cheshire CW2 6BW

Love you.....