Charity choir gives cancer sufferer new lease of life

A woman who suffered with cancer for six years without being diagnosed has been given a new lease of life as a member of the Tenovus charity choir.

Angela Davies, 51, of Caerphilly, was given an emergency operation in 2007 after suffering from cancer for six years without doctor's picking it up, until an off-duty GP spotted it.

“Because it was so long being diagnosed I was then diagnosed with secondary cancer, which is inoperable,” said Mrs Davies.

She then heard about the Tenovus choir and initially said it wasn’t for her and she would much prefer to sing in the shower than in public.

“But by the third week my husband threw me in the car and said 'come on we’re going, it will be fun' and it was. It was a blast,” said Mrs Davies.
 
Sing With Us started in 2010 in Pontypridd under the direction of Tenovus cancer charity and on March 7 a Cardiff branch of the choir was set up for people who have been affected by cancer.

Mrs Davies was asked to be the face of the new Cardiff choir having been an active member in Pontypridd.

This week Tenovus was awarded a £1 million lottery grant to increase the number of choirs in Wales in the wake of the successes in Pontypridd and Cardiff.

Connie Fisher, from the Sound of Music actress, agreed to be the patron for the project. She said: “The Sing With Us project is a wonderful project which will help thousands of people across Wales cope with cancer.”

“It’s a cause close to my heart as I have relatives who have suffered with cancer and supporting initiatives like this are an inspiration.”

Mrs Davies said the choir was a source of great comfort for her. She said: “I’ve got my family but I have also got my Tenovus family.”

“It’s been a tremendous help to me. When you’re low they lift you up, when you're up you lift them up. It’s an amazing benefit to my health and wellbeing.”

Mrs Davies sings in the choir with her husband Glyn and son Josh who say it has raised her confidence and allowed her to make new friends.
        
Glyn said: “She’s always been quite outgoing but obviously the cancer took two or three years of her life and she was given two years to live. The choir has given her the interaction needed to boost her confidence. She’s now more like the old Angela.”

Catherine Southall, the area coordinator for Sing With Us, said even though the grant given to Tenovus sounds like a lot of money, work still needs to be done to ensure it is put to the right use.

She said: “It sounds like a lot of money but it really isn’t so there’s got to be a lot of hard work put into this project. But I really think everyone’s going to benefit from it.”