Rotherham family raises £3,500 for Yorkshire Cancer Research after Mum diagnosed with cancer

A Rotherham woman who shaved her head after her mother was diagnosed with cancer for a second time has raised £3500 for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Bethany Wilkins was 11 when her mother Andrea first lost her hair after having chemotherapy, and she promised she would shave her own head should it happen again.

Above: Andrea (left) and Bethany (second on the right) pictured after the headshave with their family

Last year, Andrea was diagnosed with cancer for a second time and Bethany, now 26, stuck to her promise and decided to raise funds for Yorkshire Cancer Research at the same time as showing solidarity with her mum, who she described as a ‘superwoman’.

The charity funds world-leading research to help prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer in Yorkshire.

Bethany said: “I always said that if she was ever diagnosed with cancer again, I’d shave my head and we could be bald together. I said it as a joke because I was hoping it would never happen, but here we are.

“When she was diagnosed again, our world was turned upside down. As a family, we all rallied together, and we’ve supported each other unconditionally. Shaving my head was another way for me to show my support for my Mum.”

Andrea, from Swinton in Rotherham, was first diagnosed with tonsil cancer at the age of 40. She had surgery to remove the cancer and then had chemotherapy and radiotherapy before being given the ‘all clear’.

In October 2022, fourteen years after first being diagnosed, Andrea was told that she had tongue cancer. To remove the tumour, she had part of her tongue removed, which was then reconstructed using muscle from her thigh. The surgery successfully removed the cancer, but left Andrea with difficulty speaking and eating.

Bethany said: “It was really hard at first, I think especially because this is the second time she’s been diagnosed, the family felt quite angry about it. But it doesn’t serve anyone to be angry at the world. You’ve got to take what’s thrown at you.

“I think as a family, especially me and my Mum, we’re good at just taking it on the chin and moving on. Mum’s life is now very different to what it was but she’s working out her place in the world now and doesn’t let anything stop her. That woman is like superwoman.”

After promising to shave her head, Bethany decided it was the perfect opportunity to raise funds for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Bethany said: “My hair was a big part of my identity, I used to change my hair colour all the time, but that wasn’t more important than my promise to my Mum. I thought I’d be emotional, but it was almost a relief when they shaved it off. Mum was buzzing and kept saying ‘you look amazing!’”.

The mother and daughter were overwhelmed by the support of friends and family, after sharing news of their fundraising on social media.

Andrea posted a video sharing her diagnosis and treatment using hand-written signs to help her communicate, and Bethany broadcast the moment she shaved her hair live on Facebook.

Bethany continued: “When Mum posted her video, the fundraiser blew up and people were sharing it far and wide. We had people watching my livestream from Australia and New Zealand because they’d seen her video.

“People shared and donated from across the world. It was genuinely amazing, and I was just in disbelief. People were so generous, and everyone rallied together. I had the easy part, all I had to do was sit there and have my head shaved, it was everyone else’s generosity that makes the real difference.

“Everyone thinks cancer won’t happen to them, until it does. It’s a cliché that you hear all the time but it’s true. It’s unbelievable how many people it affects, and it doesn’t just impact the person diagnosed but everyone around them too, so it’s a cause that a lot of people want to support.”

Andrea added: “We raised more than I ever expected, and the kindness and generosity of people has been overwhelming. People from all parts of my life, my family, friends, work colleagues, they’ve all been involved which is incredible.”

The family’s fundraising didn’t end when Bethany shaved her head. Her Uncle Matt took on his own challenge to help raise funds for Yorkshire Cancer Research, and swam 100 lengths a day for 30 days.

Bethany also held a bake sale at her university, where she studies speech and language therapy.

She said: “Everyone on my university course knows my Mum because she comes in and talks about her experiences quite a lot, so when she was diagnosed again people were devastated. When I suggested doing a bake sale to fundraise, everyone was baking and came together on the day. It raised more than £100 in a few hours, which is amazing.”

For Andrea and Bethany, it was important that the amount raised was used to support cancer research in their area.

Andrea said: “National charities have people fundraising for them all the time, and I think it’s important that people remember that there are charities that work in local areas and help people closer to home.”

Bethany said: “I discussed with Mum which charity she’d like me to fundraise for. It was important to us that the money we raised went to a charity that would help Yorkshire people, and that’s exactly what Yorkshire Cancer Research does.”