A VALE cancer survivor backing St Richard's New Hospice Appeal has already raised hundreds of pounds by completing a sponsored walk.

After Jane Perry, aged 59 from Harvington was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last September she received regular home visits from hospice nurse Jenny Hull. As a 'thank-you' Jane completed a two-mile walk in Malvern with her granddaughter raising £645 for St Richard's.

Jane said: "You have only got to mention the word cancer and you think there is no light at the end of the tunnel and this is the beginning of the end - that was my first reaction when I was diagnosed. But as I started having treatment and began feeling more positive that light started getting bigger.

"I had heard of St Richard's before being diagnosed as a friend had had cancer, and Worcester hospital put me in touch with them. The hospice asked if I would like a nurse to come out and see me at home, which is how I met Jenny.

"Sometimes I could talk to Jenny about things that I did not want to talk to my husband about, because I wanted to speak to someone outside the family. Jenny made me feel very positive and she always used to say nobody knows what the future holds."

Jenny, a qualified nurse with a diploma in palliative care, works in Evesham, Broadway and Inkberrow, collectively caring for around 30 patients. The support she offers includes symptom control advice and practical help with financial and domestic matters. Jane's husband Bob cared for her during her treatment and Jenny helped deal with the financial implications this had.

Jenny said: "A hospice is not just about dying - it is about helping people live with their illness. I give people time to talk about their fears and anxieties because patients cannot always share it with their families as they don't want to burden them."

Jane is now in remission from cancer following chemotherapy and surgery and has pledged to do all she can to raise money for St Richard's new hospice. She said: "Anything I can do for St Richard's I will be happy to do, even if it is only a raffle or a coffee morning."