A Dundee police officer forced into an isolation chamber after becoming radioactive is encouraging as many people as possible to sign up for a charity race.
Lena Linklater had to spend almost a week locked away from her nearest and dearest after receiving highly radioactive medicine as part of her programme for treatment of thyroid cancer.
The 54-year-old was given a cancer-killing pill which turned her sweat and urine radioactive, meaning she had to be kept away from her husband Kevin, 49 and children Colin, 31, and Kayleigh, 27.
As invasive and as uncomfortable as the treatment was, it proved successful and Lena is now celebrating being cancer free for more than a decade by calling on women of all ages, shapes and sizes to sign up for the Cancer Research Race For Life.
Lena points out how cancer can affect everyone, having lost her mother to the disease in 2017.
She said: “Telling my family who I love so much that I had cancer was the hardest thing.
“I tried to keep it together. I don’t cry often and I didn’t want to upset them. I’m lucky as I have such a brilliant family who supported me but it was a frightening time.”
“I spent five days in an isolation ward and there was a line on the floor that my family weren’t allowed to cross over.
“I wasn’t allowed out the room until my radioactivity had gone right down. I felt so low anyway that it didn’t help not being able to hug or even touch my family.”
She added: “I remember it was particularly difficult telling my mum that I had cancer. She was there for me though and it broke my heart when she died from cancer a few years later.
“One of my close friends died from cancer aged 34 and I’ve lost my mum too.
“I think of them both as I cross the finish line.”
Three events organised by the charity are to take place at Camperdown park on Sunday June 17.
A five km and 10 km race, as well as the 5km Pretty Muddy obstacle course with inflatable slides, mud pits, scramble nets and space hoppers, have all been arranged to raise vital funds for cancer treatment research.
The popular events have seen millions of pounds raised by generous Dundonians in the past.
