Millies hero vows to tackle charity challenges to raise cash after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer at 37
AN RAF hero honoured at The Sun’s Military Awards is battling terminal lung cancer — but has vowed to tackle a series of challenges for charity.
Flight Sergeant Anna Irwin, 37, launched her fundraising mission this week after being told nine months of chemotherapy had failed to halt the disease.
She first felt ill in February last year after a cross-country skiing and rifle shooting biathlon event.
She said: “I had backache but I assumed it must be from the skiing.
“Then it moved to my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack.
“I went to A&E and they said I had fluid on my lung. They did more tests and a biopsy.”
She was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in April. Doctors are puzzled because she does not smoke and there are no obvious environmental causes.
Anna, who is based at RAF Odiham, Hants, said: “I’m just unlucky. But I’m still determined to beat this.”
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In 2013 she was presented with a Millie award for Most Outstanding Airman by Prince Charles and Camilla for rescuing injured troops in Afghanistan and manning a machine gun as they escaped in a Chinook helicopter.
The Manchester United fan — who met David Beckham when he visited troops in 2010 — aims to climb Ben Nevis, compete in an Ironman event in May and do a parachute jump.
Donations to her Go Fund Me page set up four days ago reached £34,000 yesterday. Some cash will be used to send her to an alternative treatment clinic in Spain, costing £10,000. The bulk will go to two cancer charities.
Anna said: “Raising this money will give me something to stay active for.”
30 cases of rarest illness
By CAROL COOPER, Sun Doctor
ANNA’S lung cancer — primary enteric adenocarcinoma — is so rare only just over 30 cases have been reported worldwide.
Nobody knew about it until 1991.
Much research has since been done but there’s no known cause.
Symptoms include a dry cough and swelling under the skin if it has spread.
Surgery is the usual treatment, or chemotherapy when it is advanced.