SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: Last week, we launched the Swindon Cancer Appeal to raise £600,000 for Macmillan - enough money to fund two Macmillan nurses for the Great Western Hospital and a consultant in cancer care for three years. Today, Brian Hunt recollects how his wife Mavis dealt with the double blow of ovarian and bowel cancer. ALEX EMERY reports.

Nothing came between childhood sweethearts Brian and Mavis Hunt for more than four decades until the day cancer was diagnosed.

In less than a year the disease had taken hold of Mavis' body and she died of ovarian cancer, which had spread to her bowel, last September, aged 61.

Now Brian, 61, treasures one of the few photos he has of Mavis, pictured on Christmas Day 2001 with their granddaughter Molly.

He said: "Mavis had just had her first bout of chemotherapy last Christmas but she still looks well.

"It's hard to believe that in less than a year she had died.

"She was wonderful. She would always put others before herself and nothing was too much trouble.

"Throughout her illness Mavis remained as chirpy as a bird. I think she was more worried about me."

Brian, a retired quality control inspector, remembers sitting next to a 10-year-old Mavis at College Street School in Swindon.

"She hated me at first because I was always getting her into trouble," he said. "We lost touch when we went to our senior schools but then our families moved into nearby houses in the railway village when we were teenagers.

"We sort of got chatting again and started courting when we were about 17. We were married at 20.

"I never thought when I first met her we would end up getting married. It's strange how things work out."

The couple, who have a 35-year-old son, Neil, first thought something was wrong in March 2001.

Brian said: "Mavis began to get a pain in her side which was typical of gall stones. But nothing showed up in tests and she was given a clean bill of health.

"Then in September, just after we had got back from a holiday in Cyprus, her stomach started to swell up. At first nothing was found, but it started to get worse and she was taken to hospital.

"It was then she had her stomach drained and it was horrible. Litres and litres of this liquid came pouring out. It looked just like weak orangeade.

"But even after this the tumour still didn't show up. I don't have much faith in scans now."

Brian said doctors discovered the tumour on one of her ovaries, which had attached itself to her bowel.

"They said it was too sticky to take out the bowel and the ovary so they removed her fallopian tubes and the other ovary as a precaution," Brian said.

"Mavis then started chemotherapy treatments every three weeks. She had six sessions in total.

"Throughout it all she didn't show any fear. I was a little apprehensive. I think it's the fear of the unknown. But Mavis wasn't one to make a fuss.

"She had total disregard for any problems and that helped put my mind at rest."

Following chemotherapy, Mavis' ovary and bowel were removed, and the couple thought the cancer had been restrained.

Brian said: "Last summer we thought she might be able to have radiotherapy or some kind of treatment to keep it under control.

"At that point we were told ovarian cancer sufferers had a life expectancy of anything up to five years.

"Mavis remained strong even then. Her only worry was not seeing out little granddaughter grow up but she was determined to carry on fighting."

But the couple were not to have even five more years together. In September, Mavis was told by Macmillan nurse Vanessa Davey that her system was breaking down fast.

Brian said: "We were told that once the bowel started to fail it wouldn't be too long after that, and they were right.

"It stopped working altogether in a matter of two or three weeks. There was nothing more they could do so Mavis left hospital and I nursed her at home.

"We both slept downstairs and if she wanted anything during the night I'd get it for her.

"Mavis remained conscious right up until the day she died. The day before she was a bit quieter but she knew you were there. I knew then it wouldn't be long."

Mavis died at home in Shrivenham Road on September 27.

"Macmillan nurses were involved right from the start," Brian said. "We didn't even have to ask for their help, they offered.

"They are brilliant and we struck up friendships with them. I'm sure without their help we would have taken Mavis' illness much harder.

"I'm pleased the appeal is being launched and will do whatever I can to help."

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