KATY Sweetman, whose husband Jeremy was diagnosed with terminal cancer when she was four months pregnant with their second child, is urging Oxfordshire’s women to help find a cure for cancer this June.

Mrs Sweetman, 39, of Didcot, watched helplessly as her husband Jeremy battled liver cancer for the chance to see his two young daughters grow.

His fight even took the family to live in Spain where, she believes, new treatments gave him extra precious time.

Now, 16 months after her husband lost his battle, Mrs Sweetman and her daughters Ofelia, 11, and Sofia, eight, hope his inspirational story will help others.

Mrs Sweetman said: “We want people diagnosed with cancer never to give up and to encourage women to enter this year’s Tesco and Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life to raise money for life-saving research.”

Mr Sweetman, originally from Wallingford and a manager for the Walon transport company near Bicester, was diagnosed with cancer of the liver two weeks before Christmas in 2001.

He had gone to the doctor about an unrelated matter, but was referred for tests because of extreme weight loss. They confirmed cancer in his bowel had spread to his liver and, aged 37, he was given just three months to live if initial treatment did not work.

As his condition rapidly deteriorated, Mr Sweetman pinned his hopes on a new chemotherapy drug being tested in a clinical trial at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

Within a couple of months, he started to gain weight and a scan indicated he was responding well.

His wife gave birth to their second daughter, Sofia, in May 2002, having been induced at 11 days overdue to fit around Jeremy’s treatment, so he could attend the birth.

She said: “He was extremely tired, but it was a very emotional experience neither of us wanted him to miss. The thought of seeing Sofia born had kept him going.”

She said: “Jeremy continued to respond well to a succession of trial drugs until he ran out of options and faced having to resort to standard chemotherapy treatment, which did not give us much hope.

“Although we always knew he was terminal, he was determined to continue fighting. Jeremy’s mum had died from breast cancer when he was in his twenties, but it was all fairly new to us.”

During a visit to a friend in Spain, the family found a possible lifeline. Mrs Sweetman said: “Jeremy researched what local hospitals had to offer while he was there and found they had some treatments not available in the UK.”

The family decided to sell their Didcot home and move to Spain, a decision Katy believes extended Jeremy’s life by five years.

She said: “We left full of optimism and hope. There were ups and downs, especially as we had no family in Spain to support us.

“I am not at all critical of the NHS. They did everything they could, but in Spain they seem to be able to fund more drugs. Cost didn’t seem to matter.”

However, Mr Sweetman’s condition again started to deteriorate.

Mrs Sweetman said: “The cancer had spread to Jeremy’s bones and the Spanish doctors had also run out of options.”

The family moved back to the UK on November 25, 2009.

Three days later, Jeremy died with his wife by his side.

Mrs Sweetman and their daughters scattered some of his ashes at Wittenham Clumps near Didcot.

She said: “The hardest thing was coming back. We always knew when Jeremy’s condition started to deteriorate, we would move back to the UK. For us it was the end of an incredible journey we didn’t want to end. It pained us to leave, but Jeremy knew I was going to need the support of my family and he hung on until we were safely back. My parents, who live in Didcot, have been my rock ever since.”

She said: “We have no regrets. Jeremy wanted as much time as he could with his daughters and me, and going to Spain gave us that.

“Jeremy was a fighter and wanted to help himself as much as possible. Anything he could do to help himself, he did.

“He was such an inspiration at the Churchill Hospital. He was asked early on in his treatment in the UK to give a talk to student doctors about his experience. We were also told by his oncologist that Jeremy’s case would be written up in the medical books.”

She continued: “He was a very brave man. He never complained and we love and miss him so much. I am extremely proud to be his wife and he has made me a better and stronger person.”

Mrs Sweetman, a former legal secretary and now full-time mother, added: “It has been very hard for the children, particularly Ofelia, who not only had to start a new English school, but also had to start secondary school soon after arriving back in the UK. She had an extremely close relationship with her dad. But we are slowly getting our lives back on track. Obviously, there are a lot of hard days, but we laugh a lot too, talking about Jeremy all the time and all the great memories we have.”

Just weeks after her husband was diagnosed, Mrs Sweetman took part in her first Race for Life in Oxford. She took part for the second time again last year after he had died.

She said: “We raised lots of money. What we have been through has changed our lives forever, but the girls have been left with a positive outlook on life.

“Race for Life is a big thing for us and we like to take part to give something back. The atmosphere also helped us all, especially reading the reasons on women’s back-signs about why they are taking part. We didn’t feel so alone.”

Mrs Sweetman won’t be taking part in Oxford this year, because the event clashes with her 40th birthday, but hopes other women will turn it into the most successful ever.

She said: “People should know that raising money for research can make a difference and there are a lot of treatments out there, so don’t give up. Positivity is the key and Jeremy had this in bucket-loads right to the end.” Race for Life in Oxford takes place at University Parks on Sunday, June 26. It is hoped 9,300 women will raise £673,000.

l Women in Oxfordshire can enter Race for Life at their local Cancer Research UK shop, online at: www.raceforlife.org or by calling 0871 641 1111.