A Swindon man who says his family is “riddled with cancer” is doing everything he can to help other people cope with the disease.

Several years ago, Keith Lee, 66, watched his dad pass away from bowel cancer while knowing he also had the disease, which came back four times in five years.

His little sister Debbie battled breast cancer treatment last year, his sister Dawn has terminal bladder cancer and his older sister Linda has recently found out she also has breast cancer and will start her chemotherapy treatment next week.

Despite the shock of facing cancer – and losing his brother to a heart attack – Keith has completed fifteen skydives to raise money for Prospect Hospice. 

On Friday night he had his beloved ponytail chopped off and dyed his hair pink to help the Haydon Wick Club raise £5,000 for breast cancer charities.

(Image: Keith Lee)

“When my dad had cancer, I knew for six weeks I had it and I didn’t do anything about it, because I wanted to take care of my father first”, explained Keith.

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“Nobody knew I had it, we looked after him and after we buried him I had to go and tell my mum I had the same thing. My mum said ‘Promise me you’ll beat it.’ I said ‘I can’t promise Mum but I’ll try’ and I’m still here. I’m now officially a pensioner!

“When I got it again I thought ‘why me?’ But it’s as difficult as you make it – 90 per cent of the battle is in your head.

"When I first got it, I was having chemotherapy and feeling sorry for myself and there was a 15-year-old girl there who lost all her hair and was still studying for her exams.

“I thought to myself ‘What have I got to be worried about? I’ve had a life’ and she shouted out to me ‘It’s alright mister, it gets better’ and I think that’s what gave me a positive attitude. She hasn’t had a life, that poor girl. I thought ‘Well sod it, I’m not going anywhere.’ That’s why I started raising money and doing skydives.

“It’s a shocker at first. Most people hear the big ‘C’ word and rollover. I did the same and thought it was the end, but it isn’t.”

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Keith was also referred to a clinic in Oxford where people with the most rare and aggressive forms of cancer in the UK undergo testing to help medical professionals learn more about the disease.

“It won’t help me and my siblings now”, Keith said. “But it covers my grandchildren and their children and it’ll help a lot of people in the future hopefully.”

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