A GRID girl has helped raise hundreds of pounds for charity with the help of friends from her son’s football team.

In 2004, Michelle Lawman was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).

She has lived with the cancer ever since, and recently took part in a charity walk in aid of Blood Cancer UK.

The group set off from West Witney Sports & Social Club during the evening, as part of the Walk of Light national event.

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Miss Lawman said: “My son Harry plays for Tower Hill in Witney, and five of the mums from the team got together to do the walk for Blood Cancer UK.

“My CML is kept under control by medication but it’s not curable.

“I can have a normal life but I have to be on top of my medication.

“I was lucky enough to have Harry throughout my initial treatment, and now I’ve got him and the mums from his team.”

CML is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells and tends to progress slowly over many years.

The cancer sees bone marrow produce too many myeloid cells – immature white blood cells that are not fully developed and do not work properly.

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CML can occur at any age, but is most common in older adults around 60 to 65 years of age.

It is estimated that around 70 per cent of men and 75 per cent of women will live for at least five years after their diagnosis.

According to the NHS, younger adults tend to have a better outlook than older adults.

Miss Lawman has not let the cancer impact her life, battling on with the support of her friends from Tower Hill.

“We initially aimed to walk five miles but we ended up smashing that and doing 10 miles instead,” she said.

“We’re a very close-knit group and really good friends.

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“Harry’s done five seasons at Tower Hill and a lot of the mums have joined through those seasons.

“I’ve never known such a close group, we mix both inside and outside the football.

“It’s the mums and the boys together, and it’s lovely to have that set of support.”

While the football group has been a source of support for Miss Lawman, it’s a sport of another kind which sees her work in a fast-paced environment.

For the last four years, she has been a grid girl for the British Tour Car Championship.

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“Covid has put a halt on things last year but hopefully I can get back on the grid this year,” Miss Lawman said.

“I go where I need to on the Saturday to be on the grid for the Sunday, it’s a rush but I love it.”

Miss Lawman, from Abingdon, was initially a promo girl for the Discovery Channel’s Wheeler Dealers, before getting picked up to be a grid girl from there.

She also works as a model for This Morning on ITV, however the coronavirus pandemic has also put a stop to appearing on set, despite being able to do some of the modelling via Zoom.

To donate to the fundraiser, please visit: justgiving.com/team/towermums