A BROMSGROVE woman who overcame a three-month coma and an ovarian tumour is taking on a charity walking challenge with her dog.
Cherie Uhrmacher is inviting residents to sign up for Cancer Research UK’s latest fundraising campaign ‘Walk All Over Cancer’ and to get sponsored to walk 10,000 steps every day in June.
The now 36-year-old, who lives in Bromsgrove with husband Lee Uhrmacher, was only 22 when she had a fit that was so serious doctors had to put her into an induced coma for three months to let her body recover.
It was only when she had a full body scan before being moved off the high dependency unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham that doctors found an ovarian tumour, described as being ‘the size of an A4 folder’.
Following six months of intensive operations and chemotherapy, Cherie went into remission and is now fit and well.
Cherie, who has taken part in Race for Life numerous times, is now undertaking the ‘Walk All Over Cancer’ challenge with her faithful companion, whippet/Patterdale terrier cross, Maisey.
She said: “I believe that it is thanks to research that I’m still here today and that’s why I want to encourage the people of Bromsgrove and beyond to put on their walking shoes and join me this June.
“I had a lot of stomach complaints before I fell ill, but doctors could find nothing wrong.
“I’d never had a fit before but I just came home from work one day in 2003 and it happened.
“I had to have four operations, the first was to remove the tumour, the second to remove smaller benign tumours and a third when they thought it had spread to my liver.
“The fourth operation was to check that it had all gone.”
Based on the average person’s strides, 10,000 steps equates to approximately five miles or 8km per day.
Jane Redman, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson for Worcestershire, said: “Cherie’s a bit of a ‘walking miracle’, but you don’t have to be extraordinary to take up this challenge.
“Every day, around 85 people are diagnosed with cancer in the West Midlands.
“Taking part in Walk All Over Cancer is a great way to fund-raise and ensure that more people, like Cherie, survive cancer.”
Visit www.cruk.org/walkallover to sign up and download motivation tools including a wall chart, leader board and sponsorship form.
