When the world was in lockdown, Colleen Moorhouse was raising money for charity using a garage treadmill and disco lights – all while going through chemotherapy.
The non-hodgkin lymphoma patient said that while her condition is not curable, she is determined not to let it steal her focus.
Her diagnosis had such a impact on her daughter, Sofi, she has changed her career to help patients.
As for her fundraising endeavours Mrs Moorhouse said: “Because it was the pandemic there wasn’t much you could do.
“I am so lucky that I didn’t have any side effects, I wasn’t ill at all.
“I would do miles on the treadmill in the garage, I switched off the lights and just put on the disco lights.
“It made the time pass quicker and you could just keep going with the music blaring out.
“The neighbours must have thought I was having some kind of party in the garage but it made it more fun.”
The mum was diagnosed with cancer after first discovering a lump in October 2019.
After a doctor in her boxing class one day told her to get it looked at, the 60-year-old booked an appointment the next day.
Following a lot of scans, Mrs Moorhouse was told she had non-hodgkin lymphoma – a cancer that develops in a network of vessels and glands spread throughout the body.
Ever since then, she said she is aware one day it will come back but taking part in fundraising helps her to focus on the present.
Staff made a ‘traumatic’ time a ‘little easier’
Mrs Moorhouse said: “It’s not a curable cancer at the moment but you can live with it.
“At the moment I’m in remission but it will come back.
“Whether it’s a year, 10 years, 15 years… we’ll just deal with it when it comes back.”
What followed was months of full chemotherapy and two years of maintenance treatment.
While Mrs Moorhouse said it was “traumatic” at points, the staff and volunteers at the Anchor Unit made a difficult time “a little easier”.
She said: “Family just didn’t know how to react because we didn’t know anybody close that had any kind of cancer.
“It’s just so daunting you don’t know what the future holds. You’ve got so many questions.
“I don’t know what it was, I just had this strength come over me and I just knew I was going to be ok.
“The staff and volunteers were absolutely brilliant. I still managed to get all my chemotherapy throughout the whole of the pandemic.
She continued: “Obviously you had to then go in yourself but because they’re so nice, it’s such a lovely atmosphere and they’re so welcoming, I didn’t mind going in myself.”
Daughter changed degree after seeing Anchor Unit nursing staff
It was not just Mrs Moorhouse who was affected by the care in the unit.
After her 22-year-old daughter, Sofi, went with her mum for a few appointments, the law student decided to change her degree.
Getting slightly emotional, Mrs Moorhouse added: “She was so impressed by the nurses and how they were and everybody in the Anchor Unit that she has now changed her career.
“She is now in her second year of adult nursing with honours and she wants to specialise in oncology.”
The Cove resident has since been in remission since last April, getting the good news a day before her 60th birthday.
Wanting to ‘give something back’
With the backing of her husband of 23 years, Keith Moorhouse, her stepson Grant and daughter Sofi, as well as other family and friends, she will be marking the occasion by taking part in this year’s Courage on the Catwalk.
Mrs Moorhouse said the “good fun” at rehearsals while learning all the turns and strutting for the event, has also given her something back.
She said: “I wanted to find a way to raise as much money as possible to give something back to Friends of Anchor.
“The support that they gave, the Anchor Unit and the research and treatments that they do.
“You lose a lot of confidence when you’ve had cancer. Your body totally changes and you do lose confidence. I just feel maybe in a small way this will give me something back as well.
“I think it’s always in your head so doing things like this makes things a lot better.
“You can focus on things that you’re doing and it makes you feel good to try and help somebody else.”
Courage on the Catwalk will take place at the Beach Ballroom on May 6 and 7.
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