Dinnington couple tie the knot after 10 year battle with cancer

30th June 2016

A couple who met online tied the knot last year despite a harrowing 10 year battle with cancer.

Lorraine and Caroline Wilson-Robinson, originally from Chesterfield and Todwick, met online over 7 years ago during Lorraine's battle with breast cancer and got married last year to signify the start of a new, cancer-free future together. In 2004, at the age of 30, fitness enthusiast Lorraine, now 42, visited her GP after finding a lump under her arm. After a referral to Calow Hospital, Lorraine was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery, followed by Radiotherapy, at Weston Park Hospital. Lorraine began living her life to the full again, hoping that her cancer fight was over for good. But just 2 years later, after a routine mammogram, another lump was found and Lorraine made the difficult decision to undergo a mastectomy followed by 6 months of chemotherapy treatment. -It was a tough time. Said Lorraine, -I just couldn't believe that after fighting my cancer once I had to go through it all again and relive the whole ordeal. Following chemotherapy, Lorraine was prescribed Herceptin and underwent reconstruction surgery. Now over ten years later, Lorraine attends Weston Park Hospital for yearly check-ups and says that she still holds a special place in her heart for the specialised hospital that continues to support her through her journey. After losing both their dads to cancer, Lorraine and Caroline were aware of the devastating effects the disease could have on families but remained positive nevertheless. -I just cannot put into words how incredible the staff at Weston Park Hospital were with both Caroline and I. I spent some time as an in-patient after contracting several infections and the team of staff that looked after me were truly remarkable. -The bond that I built with my fantastic consultant, Kash Purohit really got me through the dark times and he never once lost patience with me. On reflection I was sometimes a handful, however we stuck it out through all the years together. I'm sure he thought he had got rid of me when he no longer covered Calow Hospital but he was not so lucky as I followed him to Weston Park! -My yearly visits to the hospital are bitter sweet. It's an absolute pleasure to see some old faces and still be recognised all these years later but it's also quite emotional visiting the place which holds so many memories of the challenging times we've been through. Weston Park Hospital is one of only a handful of specialist cancer hospitals in England and treats patients from all over South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire and North Derbyshire a population of almost 1.8million people. Weston Park Cancer Charity is the only dedicated charity for the hospital and exists to support the world-class cancer research and to improve the treatment and care for people living with cancer. Lorraine continued, -In truth, our wedding day was extra special, as, at the time, I genuinely didn't know how long I would be around for. Caroline has been my rock and I doubt very much I would have pulled through without her support. The couple are now enjoying married life together and are looking forward to the future and making plans after years of uncertainty. Weston Park Hospital Consultant, Kash Purohit said, -It has been a pleasure looking after Lorraine over the past 12 years. She has gone through a very tough journey and it has not been easy. At times she has shown her frustration but with our support, which she and her partner always appreciated, she has pulled through it very successfully. -Lorraine has a very bubbly personality and always complimentary to what we do for her. She is an inspiration to lots of our patients and had made quite a lot of friends whilst going through her treatment. I am so pleased for her that she has finally tied the knot with her long term partner Caroline who has been absolutely wonderful throughout Lorraine's cancer journey. The couple will be taking part in the cancer charity's annual Run in the Park event this July to support the services at Weston Park Hospital which Lorraine says were 'first-class'. Weston Park Cancer Charity is the dedicated charity for Weston Park Hospital and needs to raise over £2 million this year to help improve the lives of over 18,000 people fighting cancer across the region Run in the Park welcomes families, friends and colleagues to don their running vests in support of the cancer charity and is well attended by hospital staff, fundraisers and patients alike. Now into its eighth year, the cancer charity is encouraging participants of all ages and abilities to take on either the 3k fun run or 10k race as part of the event. To sign up for Run in the Park and take on the 3k fun run or 10k race at Graves Park visit: www.runinthepark.org.uk