Man with cancer holds charity event

The cancer affects his spine, but despite not being able to walk very far or stand up for a long time, he is holding a coffee morning as part of Macmillan Cancer Support's World's Biggest Coffee Morning.

Mr Heward, who recently moved from Farnborough three months ago to be near his brother, said: "When I first heard I had cancer it was a bit of a shock because I had been fit all my life and worked for 37 years for one company. It first started to feel like someone was whipping me across my back all the time."

Mr Heward now says he finds it difficult to walk, run, and bend over to pick things, and said he also finds it hard to stand up for a long period of time.

He takes around 14 different types of medicine each day to ease his pain.

He said: "If it wasn't for the medicine I probably wouldn't be alive. The doctors have told me my life expectancy is three and a half years unless I undergo stem cell transplant.

"When I first got the disease, 80% of my blood was bad, but now 80% is good. The transplant will remove the bad blood and replace it."

Mr Heward has no children or wife, so moved to the area as his extended family, brother, and close friends are in the area.

He said he would still like to work, but due to his condition finds it difficult to get employed.

Speaking about the coffee morning he said: "This is the first time I am holding one and it will be all day because a lot of people around here work in the mornings. They will be able to come in and have a coffee, and make a donation, but I am also doing it because I want to get to know my neighbours better."

Mr Heward lives at 19 Burleigh Gardens, Ashford, and said anyone is allowed to come.