Chris determined to conquer Great West Run to help others with cancer

JUST a year after completing his final chemo session a Mid Devon dad will be joining hundreds of others on the start line of this weekend's Great West Run.

- by SUE KEMP

Chris Shaw from Copplestone will be running on Sunday for the FORCE cancer charity in recognition of the support and help they give to patients.

When he was diagnosed with lymphoma in March 2024, at the age of 39, it came as a complete shock as he was in great shape at the time and living life to the full.

He had found a lump in his neck at the start of the year and the doctors weren't concerned, believing it to be swollen lymph nodes as the resut of a cold.

But his local pharmacist strongly believed it was something serious, two months, multiple biopsies and scans later, he was diagnosed with Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, an aggressive type of blood cancer which can be lethal in weeks or months without treatment.

Fortunately, it was caught at stage 1, which was incredibly lucky, as this type spreads so fast it's usually found at stages 3 and 4.

Chris, now 41, runs a motion graphics studio with his wife Carla and they have a six-year-old daughter Ember.

The couple decided to be as honest with Ember as possible about what was happening to her dad. And he is incedibly proud of how his daugter reacted.