Celebration shone light at a dark time for Raz

A Newcastle man has shared the touching story of how he celebrated his engagement at a Newcastle cancer centre.

- DANIEL HALL

Raz Handa, 31, was last summer set to move to Carlisle, where his partner Kathryn lived. Raz was about to start a new job and the couple were looking forward to spending time fell-walking in the Lake District in their time off together.

However, during the England vs Spain Euro 2024 final last July, Raz started to notice something wasn't right. He initially ignored cold and flu symptoms, but when he started getting blood spots on his arm, Kathryn encouraged him to go to hospital.

Medics suspected that Raz’s symptoms pointed to a type of blood cancer, and as he awaited a diagnosis, he proposed to Kathryn from his hospital bed.

She said yes, and the happy couple celebrated their engagement in a rather unlikely place. When Raz received a full diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) at the Freeman Hospital, the couple went to the Maggie’s cancer care centre in the hospital grounds, in the hope of accessing support.