Havant family fundraise £36k for charity in late mum's memory after she lost her battle with ovarian cancer

Lynda Hurry, a mum-of-two, died in 2013 aged 52 after being diagnosed with the cancer at stage four in 2008.

Following her death, Lynda’s husband, Garry, along with their children Emily and William helped set up the Lynda Hurry Ovarian Cancer Awareness Fund in her memory which has raised a staggering £35,900 in aid of Target Ovarian Cancer.

When Lynda was diagnosed, the family say she was ‘diagnosed too late’ and that ‘misdiagnosis is one of the biggest things’ for ovarian cancer.

Today, Garry and his family want to spread awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms which Emily Hurry says can ‘often get diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome’.

An avid fundraiser herself, Lynda received 36 rounds of chemotherapy at Queen Alexandra Hospital at Cosham during her battle to fight the disease.

Her final two treatments were given while she was in palliative care.

Through raffles, charity nights, football blackouts, a daily tuck shop at Garry’s places of work, Portsmouth Harbour train station and Havant station family, friends and the Portsmouth community have helped the family raised the huge sum of cash to ensure support and treatment for people like Lynda continues.

Garry, 66, a retired station supervisor, said: ‘You name it we did it. We had a few charity nights. We had cake sales, donations, car boot sales.

‘When [Lynda] unfortunately died the two kids and I decided we wanted to raise some money in her memory.

‘It always had to be that it would go to an ovarian cancer charity because that's what she died of.

‘She was everybody's dream. She was a hard-worker, a good mum, she did a lot of work with Help for Heroes, she was a good knitter and cake maker, she contributed to all the causes.

‘It was a big blow when she was diagnosed. But she never gave up. Her philosophy was you have to be positive whatever the outcome.’

Garry, Emily and William set up the charity in 2013 which teams up with Target Ovarian Cancer.

The cause works to improve early diagnosis, fund life-saving research and provide support to those affected by ovarian cancer.

Last month the family met the charity’s community fundraising manager, Mark Drain at The Heron pub in Havant.

Their cheque of the money they have fundraised over the last nine years was presented to him in a celebration of what the community have done for supporting those with ovarian cancer.

Emily Hurry, 32, said: ‘I thought we'd raise a couple of grand but I think the end amount shocked us because even though we were raising it I don't think they realised how much was there.

‘When they handed over the money it was a bit of a shock. [Ovarian cancer] is often diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome so misdiagnosis is one of the biggest things. If the charity can help save a family not losing their mum at a young age or a grandchild losing their nan of someone their sister, then it makes it all worthwhile.’