A cancer survivor who underwent a difficult but inspiring journey will feature on a Mother’s Day card that can be purchased in stores across the nation.
Rinal Patel, a mother from Watford will star in the Hallmark designed cards that will be on sale in all large Tesco stores, in a bid to raise funds for Cancer Research UK.
She discovered she had an aggressive form of cancer just after news of her falling pregnant with her second child.
After waking up and feeling a strange lump in her neck, she was referred to hospital where an ultrasound and biopsy confirmed she had non-hodgkin lymphoma. Further tests found her cancer was aggressive and had spread significantly, with tumours found in her stomach and either side of her groin.
The couple were forced to make the devastating decision to end the pregnancy so she could begin treatment to save her life.
Talking on the experience, she said: “The news was like a bombshell and all I could think about was would the baby be ok. We were advised to make a decision fast and that was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to contemplate.”
She underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, followed by two-and-a-half years of maintenance treatment.
Now she’s using her own experience to try and break down barriers around the disease within the Asian community. The mother has set up the Asian Patient Facebook group for people to talk openly about symptoms of cancer as well as other illnesses.
Mrs Patel explained: “The aim was to knock down those barriers and give people a voice. There is a real stigma attached to being diagnosed with cancer within the Asian community and this is something we really need to break.”
Tesco is celebrating its 20th year of partnership with Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life with its set of new Mother’s Day cards.
Oonagh Turnbull, head of charity campaigns at Tesco said: “We hope these cards will inspire others facing cancer and the money they raise will make a difference to so many lives.
“For the last 20 years, our partnership with Cancer Research UK has helped to raise millions of pounds for life-saving research.”
Covid-19 has caused a devastating loss of research funding. Cancer Research UK is predicting a staggering £300 million drop in income over the next three years which could put future medical breakthroughs at risk
Jenny Makin, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for Herts, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Rinal and Tesco for their support.
“By purchasing one of the Mother’s Day cards people can make a difference in the fight against cancer.
“The truth is COVID-19 has slowed us down. But we will never stop and we are absolutely determined to continue to create better cancer treatments for tomorrow.
“Every step our scientists take towards beating cancer relies on our supporters. This year, more than ever, we need support to help beat the disease.”
The Mother’s Day cards which are priced from £1 are on sale in large Tesco stores until March 14.
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