A young dad with terminal cancer has created a bucket list to make special memories with his family after he stopped his chemotherapy treatment.
16.12.2022 - 07:59 / dailyrecord.co.uk
Christmas will be very different this year for Paul Shepherd – a man who firmly believes that everything that’s intrinsically good about him is because of the influence of the woman he loved. This year, Paul will be gathered up by members of his loving family, and they’ll make new Christmas memories together.
But, for the first time in three decades, he’ll be doing so without his wife and soulmate Brenda, who lost her battle with cancer just five months ago. It will be the fond memories of fun Christmases gone by, in which he and Brenda would pull on their festive jumpers to celebrate the anniversary of the day they met, that will help a heartbroken Paul to keep smiling.
Paul and Brenda’s love story began on December 20, 1991, when they got chatting at an office Christmas party – which is why the festive period was always so close to the hearts of the inseparable couple.
The bottom fell out of their world when, in 2000, Brenda was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, it came as a huge relief to the couple when she did not need any further treatment. Then, in April this year, a routine blood test revealed that she had an alarmingly low white count, which was to lead to a shock leukaemia diagnosis.
The following month, doctors broke the news that she had acute myeloid leukaemia. She had no symptoms, she was feeling fine,” explained Paul, 57, who moved with Brenda from Johnstone, Renfrewshire, six years ago to set up home on the Isle of Bute.
“In fact, we were actually on holiday when some of it started, and she wasn’t up nor down. She walked round my local golf course with me the week she was admitted to The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. After discussions, we agreed that she
A young dad with terminal cancer has created a bucket list to make special memories with his family after he stopped his chemotherapy treatment.
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