Penwortham gran raises over £2,000 for cancer foundation
Caroline Holtappel, 74, shaves her head to raise funds for Rosemere Cancer Foundation while battling blood cancer.
Penwortham gran Caroline Holtappel went a cut above for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, donating £2,075 to the charity after shaving her head.
Caroline, 74, was diagnosed last month with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
Doctors at Rosemere Cancer Centre, Lancashire and South Cumbria’s specialist regional cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at Royal Preston Hospital, are treating her with six rounds of chemotherapy.
Caroline, mum to twins Nathan and Natalie, is now halfway through her treatment.
Doctors are hopeful she will be in remission after completing the course, but Caroline noticed her hair beginning to thin after her first round of chemotherapy.
She decided to brave the shave and, with the help of her daughter-in-law Sue, set up an online fundraising page and arranged an appointment at a local salon, where hairdresser Laura did the honours with the clippers.
Caroline, who ran her own cleaning business before retiring, said: “Before I was diagnosed, I had been losing weight and feeling absolutely exhausted. I would get up in the morning and then be falling asleep by 10.30am, or I would go shopping one day and be wiped out for the whole of the following day.
“I wasn’t sure whether it was just age, though. I also had tummy symptoms, so was treated for irritable bowel syndrome and later given a scan to check for ovarian cancer.
“It was only when my skin began itching and I developed a lump in my neck that I was sent for further scans, which led to my diagnosis. Now my tummy problems have already cleared up and my prognosis is good.”
Caroline, who has four grandchildren, the youngest aged 11, added: “I was in the shower when I noticed I was losing my hair. I decided to do something positive about it and shave it for Rosemere.
“I’m very grateful to everyone who has supported me, especially the friend who donated £1,000, as I thought I’d be lucky to raise £100.
“I’m also very grateful to my sisters Jan and Bernadette for their help. Jan now lives in Cornwall but has stayed with me for six weeks.
“My neighbours have also offered help and I’ve had support from Sue and other family members, including Natalie, who is staying with me for this third round of chemo.”
Hannah Leahy, assistant fundraiser for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, said: “Our thanks to Caroline for opting to do this for us and to everyone who has supported her. We wish Caroline all the very best for her treatment and the future.”