A Scots woman who had to teach herself to walk again after being diagnosed with terminal cancer faces a race against time to fulfil her dying wish of travelling around the UK in a campervan.
Irene Cooper, from Glasgow, was first diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in February 2012.
The 57-year-old underwent 'gruelling' chemotherapy and radiotherapy before being given the all clear in 2015.
Five years later, in February 2020, the mum-of-two received the devastating news that the cancer had returned, this time in her bones, and she was given just four weeks to live.
Although Irene has defied the odds and is still here two years later, her life has changed immeasurably.
She has had to give up her beloved job as a paramedic, wear a permanent back brace and even teach herself to walk again after losing nearly all mobility.
Battling cancer in the midst of a pandemic was also "hell" for Irene as she was bed-bound, had no access to support services such as counselling or therapy and was "petrified" of leaving the house.
Irene, who now lives in Torrance, Aberdeenshire told the Record: "The first time [I got cancer] my daughter was only eight. We celebrated her 19th birthday yesterday which is something I never thought I'd get to see.
"I never thought I'd get to see her drive or own her own flat but I have. I'm still here but I know I've not got long left.
"Being ill through lockdown was chaos and hell. My husband had to do everything for me and look after a teenage girl at the same time.
"Everyone was saying what they were looking forward to when they got out of lockdown but I was just thinking, all I have to look forward to is dying.
"I was petrified because I was high risk so I couldn't do anything or touch anyone. My husband was petrified of bringing something home, too, because that would've been the end of me.
"I didn't expect my life to end quite so quick. I wanted to get to the stage when I was a bit older and my kids were a bit older so I could explore. I'm not going to get that so I need to make memories while I'm still here."
Irene suspected there was something wrong with her again in 2018 when she began experiencing insufferable back pain which left her in "complete agony".
It wasn't until two years later that a bone scan confirmed that not only did Irene have terminal bone cancer, but the cancer had escaped from the bones and wrapped itself round her spinal cord.
Medics told Irene that they had diagnosed her just in time - her spinal cord had been days away from snapping and paralysing her from the neck down.
Undeterred, Irene turned her focus to learning to walk again. Initially, she could only walk a few metres with the help of a walking stick but in the months that followed, she ditched the aids and got back on her feet.
Incredibly, she has gone from being wheelchair-bound to driving and walking with relative ease.
Irene added: "I had to stay still for four days until all my scans were complete. If I moved, the cancer could have gone through my spinal cord and I would be dead. It was horrendous.
"I couldn't walk to begin with, only very small steps. I had to stop cooking because I couldn't stand up long enough. Slowly but surely, thanks to a friend who helped me through covid, I can walk again.
"But there's no going back for me now. I've got a hunch on my back where my spin is collapsing. If anything, my cancer is spreading. I just need to enjoy everyday."
One of Irene's lifelong dreams is to hire a campervan and travel the UK coastline - stopping in Lancaster to visit her 39-year-old son, George, and then on to Devon to meet some of her relatives for the first time.
Conscious that time is running out, Irene hopes she will be able to fundraise the cash to pay for the campervan, and make some memories before she passes on.
She added: "I've tried phoning so many camping places and asking people on Facebook if they've got a campervan to lend me but to no avail. I'm kind of stuck.
"I've made myself well enough to take myself on a trip so I have to do it. When you get faced with something like this, you've no choice. You need to make every day special.
"I've never asked anybody in my life for anything but my life has been taken away from me. I need to find some life out there for me somewhere."
If you would like to donate to Irene's fundraiser, click here.
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