Bromborough cancer sufferer and his wife raise more than £12,000 for St John’s Hospice in Wirral in various fundraising events

May 27 2009 by Richard Down, Bromborough and Bebington News

THE family of a man diagnosed with terminal cancer have gone on a fundraising blitz raising more than £12,000 for a Wirral hospice.

John Potter, a retired chemical engineer from Bromborough, began to suffer abdominal pain in February.

It became so bad that the 61-year-old was briefly hospitalised to diagnose the problem.

It was the worst possible news. Doctors told him he had terminal cancer and only has a few months left to live.

Stunned wife Barbara, 58, said: “How does anyone cope with this? This is something that happens to other people not to us.

“10 weeks on and I still feel it is surreal. I cry every single day and have experienced every emotion possible.

“I am not coping nearly as well as John – he has been remarkable in his acceptance of this horror. I feel angry, bitter, resentful and very much ‘Why us?’

“John is more philosophical. He looks at all the positive things that we have achieved in our lives, and he considers himself ‘lucky’ because of these things. I just feel so sad and upset that our happy life together is being curtailed.”

But out of this horror the family have managed to raise huge amounts of money for St John’s Hospice.

A fundraiser earlier this month at The Village Hotel Bromborough saw punters join a four-hour spin-a-thon on 50 bikes and an earlier sponsored walk also saw 125 people turn out.

Mrs Potter said: “We chose the hospice since it is in the local community and will, in all probability, play a predominant part in John’s palliative care over the forthcoming weeks or months.

“Initially we were hoping to raise maybe a few hundred pounds – we are staggered that our fund had now reached £13,000 – when you include the gift aid.

“This is all credit to the generosity of family and friends.”

Anyone wanting to add to the growing fund can visit the Potter family fundraising page online at www.justgiving.com/johnkpotter