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.
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.
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.
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.
“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: