A CUMBRIAN mum is fundraising for the charity that supported her whilst her husband battled with leukaemia.

Tracy Procter, 48, suffered with depression while her husband was seriously ill.

CancerCare provided Tracy, who lives in Flookburgh, with counselling during her husband's bone marrow transplant treatment.

Now, she wants to give back to the charity by taking part in their annual Kendal StarWalk event.

"I was originally told about CancerCare by my GP and used to have massages at their centre when James was first diagnosed but I realised I needed help again and I went back to get more support," she said. "The counselling sessions really helped me deal with everything I was going through. I am very grateful for their help."

James, Tracy's husband, is thankfully now in remission but has battled through cancer twice in his lifetime.

"At first I thought I would be ok and that I’d be able to cope second time around but it was actually worse," said Tracy. "James was in a really bad way for months, he was touch and go.

"It was so difficult caring for him and our two young sons - one also has learning difficulties. But I felt I had to stay strong for everyone. Eventually things got too much and I got really depressed. It got so bad that it was a struggle even getting out of bed some days.”

Tracy now volunteers at CancerCare once a week and will be walking 10K with two of her colleagues on May 21 as part of the StarWalk.

"It’s my way of giving something back after all the help they’ve given me," she said. "I’m really looking forward to the event.

"I’m feeling in a much better place myself. There’s always the worry the cancer will come back but we’ve been really lucky."