Kings Langley woman to roller-skate for 365 days to raise awareness of rare cancer in honour of late mother-in-law

A woman from Kings Langley is halfway through her 365-day challenge to raise money and awareness about a rare form of cancer after her mother-in-law died last month.

Kerry ‘Kes’ Pearson is challenging herself to roller-skate everyday to honour her mother-in-law, Liz, who was diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare cancer of the bone and soft tissue, in 2021

Kes said: “Liz has been like a mum to me since I joined the family.”

She explained: “My father-in-law, Anthony, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in March 2021. Liz was a tower of strength for our family, and while we all pulled together to support Anthony, little did we know that Liz was fighting her own undiagnosed cancer battle.”

The 38-year-old mum has documented her awareness-raising and fundraising efforts for Sarcoma UK on social media.

On her Instagram feed, Kes talks about the health and well-being benefits that come with roller skating and shares new skills, tips, and tricks with her followers.

Liz’s cancer was misdiagnosed for months as deep vein thrombosis before it was revealed that she had a 27cm long leiomyosarcoma in her left calf.

Her leg was amputated but a follow-up CT scan found that the cancer had spread, leading to a terminal diagnosis.

Liz died in September, nine months after her sarcoma diagnosis.

Talking about Liz’s passing, Kes said: “We are heartbroken. Raising money and raising awareness for Sarcoma UK is the only thing in my power left against this terrible disease. ”

Sarcoma UK is a national bone and soft tissue cancer charity that funds vital research offers support for anyone affected by sarcoma cancer and campaigns for better treatments.

For Kes, roller skating is a release and the skating challenge has become her therapy.

She is urging everyone to familiarise themselves with the signs of sarcoma and to contact their GP if they have any of these symptoms:

A lump which is growing, changing, or bigger than a golf ball

Swelling, tenderness, or pain in or around the bone which may come and go and may be worse at night

Stomach pain, feeling sick, loss of appetite or feeling full after eating only a small amount of food

Blood in either poo or vomit.