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After losing her mother to pancreatic cancer earlier this year, Bethan Cox is planning to cycle more than 300 miles to raise money and awareness for one of the most difficult cancers to spot.

Rita Cox was 70 when she was told she had stage four pancreatic cancer in November 2023. By January 2024, she had passed away.

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer about her mother and how she’s hoping to help others, Bethan, who lives in Caerphilly, said: “It’s one cancer everyone struggles to spot with the symptoms being so common.

“It was difficult for me and the rest of our family to watch her deteriorate so quickly.”

Rita, from Nottingham, was told by doctors that she’d actually had the disease for a year before she was diagnosed. By then however, it was too late.

In memory of her mother, Bethan explained how she will be cycling the equivalent distance of Caerphilly to the Lake District.

“I spent a lot of time at the Lake District growing up and mum loved it. I was initially going to walk 100 miles but thought this would be more challenging.”

Bethan, who works for Citizens Advice in Caerphilly, will start her challenge in June with hopes of completing it in one month.

“So far everyone has been really generous and already donated £340, I’d love to reach £1,000 by the end of the challenge.”