A Newtownards man diagnosed with terminal cancer has expressed how proud he is of his wife during such a tough time.
Stephen Vaux Wright, 49, was first diagnosed with stage four metastatic colorectal cancer in May 2020.
Cheryl Milligan, 47, an ESOL lecturer at Belfast Metropolitan College, has taken a break from work to look after her husband and to home-school their sons Sam, 11, and nine-year-old Bobby.
Described as an "amazingly strong lady", she has now completed a number of fundraisers to raise money for cancer charities and has published her own children's books, with writing the stories beginning originally as a distraction.
Stephen told Be : "I had radiotherapy in June and seven rounds of chemotherapy from September to October which was gruelling. The doctors had decided that it was best to reduce the tumours in the bowel and liver before surgery. So then I had three surgeries from November to February.
"The doctors were pleased and thought they'd got it all but in July 2021, the scans showed that the cancer had returned in my liver and spread to the abdominal lining. We were in shock at this terminal diagnosis.
"Cheryl had been planning to go back to work in August but she decided that it would be impossible to do that, especially when there was to be more chemo from August, and needed to keep the whole family together.
"She needed to do something practical and decided to swim the virtual English channel for Macmillan in July, 22 miles in a month, and raised nearly £1,000 for them. I was so proud of her for doing that and it was her way of coping. She started going back to art classes as she'd always been a great artist and that gave her another outlet to cope with things.
"When Sam wanted a kitten for his 11th birthday, Cheryl decided to write and illustrate stories about the crazy kitten [Sparkles], for the boys and also for her friend's daughters. They loved the stories so much that they kept wanting more. It grew from there! She decided to publish them and they are now available in paperback and eBook.
"She has given everything to looking after me during this time and I think she is an amazingly strong lady.
"She's been a tower of strength to me and my boys during this very difficult time."
Cheryl told Be how Stephen's diagnosis was a "shock to the system".
She said: "It coincided with Covid, it was really a double whammy. It was a real shock to the system..
"He had so many treatments, it was like boom, boom, boom, there wasn't really any respite for him. There was one surgery and when he was due for another we both got Covid...
"Finally he did get his surgery, a month delay for his third... three surgeries plus the treatments and they thought they got it.
"I took a little bit of leave when he was first diagnosed... then chemo was really gruelling for him.
"He couldn't do anything and then it just became clear that I couldn't go back to work."
The mum-of-two said her charity fundraising was a way of coping.
"I was so used to being so busy, working and everything and then suddenly... It was to try and find a way of coping for me, and swimming is my de-stress anyway. Macmillan have been so wonderful to us.
"I have a really fantastic counsellor, she has pretty much saved my life. Steve has a counsellor as well through them so I wanted to give a little bit back as they have been so wonderful.
"It gave me a focus."
Cheryl said she "never thought" she would have published her own books and that the venture "came out of the blue".
"Me and my two sons started writing at the same time.
"One book turned into two and there are three and four on the way. It was just a bit of fun," she added.
The Newtownards woman also did a charity dip on New Year's Eve for Cancer Focus, and explained the difference the charity has made to her family.
She said: "I am part of a parent support group with them and they've really helped me help the boys, and try to get them through it with as much honesty as possible so they don't feel like they've been left out.
"They have been wonderful.
"In a way the last couple of years have been hard for everybody, doubly hard for us, but it's just given me a new perspective on things.
"You are so busy, worrying when Covid hit, worrying that you are going to get Covid and worrying that the worst possible thing could happen, and then it does happen, and it's how you deal with it.
"It's made me re-evaluate everything, take it one day at a time and really appreciate [certain things.] I'm really grateful that I'm able to look after Steve and he's battling as much as he can.
"I'm trying to keep everybody afloat and the writing has been a real god send."
The Adventures of Sparkles and Sparkles and Friends, suitable for 7 to 11 year olds, are available on lulu.com and Amazon and Google Books.
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