A WOMAN who lost her mother to pancreatic cancer is holding a fundraising event for St Teresa’s Hospice – saying the staff there were ‘angels’.

Lisa Hodgson’s mother, Sheila Thompson, died at the end of October, just six months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, often dubbed the ‘silent killer’ because of its lack of obvious symptoms.

Now Ms Hodgson, who lives in Stillington, has arranged an event at 7pm on Saturday at the Model T pub, in the Mowden area of Darlington, to raise both funds for St Teresa’s and awareness of pancreatic cancer.

Tickets are just £1 and there will be karaoke, food for sale, a raffle and a disco.

Mrs Thompson, of Newton Aycliffe, was a mother-of-two and grandmother-of-four, and was diagnosed with the illness in April.

Ms Hodgson said: “There was nothing they could do.

I’m trying to raise awareness because the symptoms are so subtle and it is the deadliest cancer because usually by the time people realise they have it, it is too late.

“My mother was at stage four by the time she was diagnosed because she thought she had an upset stomach, and piles, and didn’t realise that those are two of the symptoms.

“It was too late to save her life and she decided not to have chemotherapy to prolong it because she wanted to enjoy the time she had left.

“She was fine from April to September and she was out every day, with her make up on, then that was it, she went downhill so quickly.

“The staff in St Teresa’s were incredible. They gave her such dignity at the end and nothing was too much trouble.”

She said a Macmillan nurse had told her that pancreatic cancer was becoming more prevalent and added: “I barely even knew where the pancreas was before this, let alone knew anything about the symptoms of cancer there.

“I really want to make people more aware of it, because it isn’t like breast cancer where you find a lump, it’s just so much more subtle than that.”

The disease is usually symptomless in its early stages. Later symptoms include loss of appetite, changes to bowel habits, jaundice, nausea and vomiting, difficulty swallowing and recently diagnosed diabetes. For more information visit pancreaticcancer.org.uk