Lorraine Kelly features in the Lives & Times bowel cancer fundraising book

Lorraine Kelly sporting the Beating Bowel Cancer tie

One of the final photographs I took for the book was of ITV daytime TV presenter Lorraine Kelly. It was a glorious crisp and sunny morning last September, and I ended up meeting Lorraine in the studio right after her daily morning show had finished.

The chapter in the book describes the experience in full, and it was fascinating spending time watching a live show from the back of the studio behind the cameras. I wasn't expecting to be able to take Loraine's photo in the studio, so that was a real bonus. She was lovely and couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating, and the studio set was even kept in place for a few extra minutes to enable to do the photography. 

Lorraine Kelly with the Lives & Times book

I received a photo from Lorraine with her copy of the book after publication. When I met her she also very kindly did me a short video message to help with the book's promotion which you can view on youtube.

My mother successfully had surgery in February 2014 to remove a cancerous nodule from her left lung, which as expected was a secondary cancer related to her bowel cancer of 2012. This was her fourth cancer operation in two and a half years. She made a great recovery, but unfortunately last October another cancerous nodule was detected on her left lung following her regular CT scan. The plan was for Mum to have surgery to have the nodule removed, but unfortunately in November Mum had a seizure and after tests we discovered that the cancer had spread to her brain, so that operation was postponed. In January she had "CyberKnife" treatment over three consecutive days for the brain cancer. Attention was then turned back to the lung, and she was operated on in early March and they removed the lower lob of her left lung as more nodules had appeared. Although Mum made a good recovery from the operation, unfortunately the brain cancer recently returned with a vengeance and a recent seizure put mum in hospital for 6 weeks unable to move her right hand, right leg and badly affecting her speech. Devastatingly and very sadly the cancer is now terminal, and Mum has been moved into a nursing home where she can receive 24/7 care that she needs for the time she has left.

If anything the whole point of doing the book has been even more reinforced by this recent turn of events. Please support this fundraising book as every sale counts both in raising money and raising awareness about bowel cancer.

To read how you can order the Lives & Times fundraising book for Beating Bowel Cancer click here.