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CANCER SHOCK

Emmerdale’s Zoe Tate actress Leah Bracknell left devastated by terminal lung cancer diagnosis

EMMERDALE star Leah Bracknell has revealed she has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
Leah, 52, who played Zoe Tate on the soap for 16 years, told how she was rushed to hospital last month for an emergency operation and was later diagnosed with the condition.

 Leah Bracknell has been diagnosed with terminal cancer
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Leah Bracknell has been diagnosed with terminal cancerCredit: Alamy
 Leah is best known for her role as Zoe Tate on Emmerdale
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Leah is best known for her role as Zoe Tate on EmmerdaleCredit: Itv
 Leah's partner has set up a fundraising page to help the actress
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Leah's partner has set up a fundraising page to help the actressCredit: Twitter

Her and her partner Jez Hughes have now set up a fundraising page so she can be treated at a specialist German clinic.

The previously fit yoga teacher wrote the post under her real name of Ali. It read: “My abdomen suddenly ballooned and within a matter of a few days I looked heavily pregnant. I could barely walk or breathe.

“Then, one Saturday night at the beginning of September I ended up in A & E.

 Leah was rushed to hospital last month and received the diagnosis
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Leah was rushed to hospital last month and received the diagnosisCredit: Alamy

“I was subsequently given an emergency procedure to remove a large amount of fluid from around my heart.

“However, the bad news is that I have been diagnosed with lung cancer, stage 4. In their opinion, that means it’s terminal, not curable, not operable.

 Leah had many dramatic storylines as Zoe
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Leah had many dramatic storylines as ZoeCredit: Yorkshire Television

Leah's TV career

Actress has been a small screen regular since 1980s

Emmerdale 1989-2005

Judge John Deed - 2007

The Royal Today - 2008

Casualty 1907 mini series - 2008

A Touch of Frost - 2010

Doctors - 2007-11

DCI Banks - 2011

“A fairly brutal and bleak diagnosis but one I am determined to challenge and see from the perspective of ‘a glass half full’, going against a lifetime of pessimism, negativity and fear!”

Mum of two Leah was the first lesbian character on a British soap and won Best Exit at the British Soap Awards when she left the show in 2006.

 Leah has set up a fundraising page to try and raise money for her treatment
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Leah has set up a fundraising page to try and raise money for her treatmentCredit: Rex Features

Since then she has been teaching yoga and meditation after moving to Worthing, Sussex.

The pair are now trying to raise funds so she can be treated at the private Hallwang clinic in Germany.

 Zoe also had a lesbian affair with Charity Dingle
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Zoe also had a lesbian affair with Charity DingleCredit: Ytv

However, the hospital’s cutting edge techniques of seeing previously diagnosed “incurable” cancers be put into remission, isn’t available on the NHS and they are now attempting to raise £50,000 to pay for her treatment.

A webpage last night had so far raised more than £20,000.

Lung cancer the silent killer

Disease affects more than 44,000 Brits every year but there are very few symptoms

Lung cancer has been described as one of the most common types of cancer, and usually one of the most serious.
It affects around 44,500 people in the UK every year and it is difficult to spot early as there are very few early symptoms in the early stages.

Doctors have found the early warning signs include a persistent cough, bringing up blood, persistent breathlessness, unexplained tiredness and weight loss.

The disease is said to be rare in people under the age of 40, and more commonly affects those over the age of 70.
Smoking is believed to be the main cause of lung cancer cases, but nonsmokers can also develop the disease.

 Leah left the ITV soap in 2005
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Leah left the ITV soap in 2005Credit: Getty Images

Jez wrote: “We are looking to raise the money to visit the Hallwang clinic in Germany and help go towards the costs of Ali’s treatment, to give her the best possible chances of not only survival, but to thrive.
“Over the years she has given so much to so many. As an award winning actress and the first lesbian in soap, she helped raise awareness of LGBT issues and later her sensitive portrayal of a Schizophrenic breakdown, brought a lot of attention to mental illness.

 The actress wrote about her diagnosis on a blog
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The actress wrote about her diagnosis on a blogCredit: Itv

“Her yoga DVD Yoga & You inspired many people onto the path. She still feels she has so much to give and share, not just those she loves, but through her teaching and healing work.”
To donate to her page visit: 

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