A local Helston teacher is set to brave the shave for charity after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Following a scan after experiencing stomach pains, it showed that Clair had stage 4 terminal bowel cancer, and there were secondary cancers in her liver and peritoneum, with both breasts and many of her lymph nodes affected. Clair was told she had six months to live.

However, mum of three Clair is "determined" to fight the disease and will brave the shave next month.

Always trying to find the "silver lining" Clair noticed a great opportunity to raise money for charity.

So far she has raised nearly £5,000 splitting the money between Bowel Cancer UK and Cornwall women's mental health group Your Voice. A staggering amount in a short space of time, and smashing the original target of £500.

Clair told Nub News:

"I feel that there needs to be more awareness and also more research into bowel cancer. Supposedly it can take 10-15 years to get to stage 4 bowel cancer, yet I was unaware of the symptoms until it was too late.

"On reflection, there were a few symptoms that I shook off as nothing and if I had only been more aware my cancer could have been caught in the early stages and my prognosis would be a different story.

"Please sponsor me to 'Brave the Shave' on 5th November where I will have all of my hair shaved off. Every penny will count. This is for such a good cause and all donations will go towards helping to save more people in the future from this dreadful silent disease."

The shave will take on the 5th of November at Minnie's Hair Studio, Helston.

Clair continued:

"I know it needs to be done (the shave) because my hair is thinning quite badly and it needs to come off. Daunted about it, our hair defines us doesn't it? We have all our different styles, and it reflects your personality so it is a strange thing to be getting rid of it.

"The generosity and the kindness people have shown is really overwhelming. I can't quite believe it."

Clair has been teaching for 24 years, working at Helston for 15 years. She has been inundated with messages of support from students past and present, which she says is "really lovely".

Clair has another scan coming up next week which will show if there has been a change in the size of the tumors, "hopefully we will have some good news," she added.

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