Leicester to honour those battling cancer with a miles-worth of tributes
Lanterns dedicated to people living with cancer will be lit tonight
Tributes are being paid to people living with or who have lost their battle with cancer in Leicester, by lighting a miles-worth of lanterns close to the city centre.
Stand Up To Cancer have put on the event, to raise awareness of the disease and the importance of early detection.
All week, people in Leicester have had the opportunity to make a lantern and dedicate it to a loved one, adding photos and personalised messages.
The lanterns will then be joined together to make one mile; they will all be lit later this evening (12th Dec).
The lanterns will be in Leicester's Abbey Park.
Glenda Williams lives in Leicester, she lost her husband to cancer in the summer. She told us why she was making a lantern:
"My husband Bill did not have long after his diagnosis, it is still very raw. I saw this online and knew I just had to do it.
"It is still early days, but I would say people need to get all the help they can get. Speaking about it helps.
"I am lucky I have a very supportive family, I could not have done this without my sister," she said.
'Cancer does not necessarily mean a death sentence'
Married at First Sight star, Mel Shilling announced in 2023, she had been diagnosed with bowel cancer.
She is supporting the campaign and told us about her diagnosis: "For me, cancer does not necessarily mean a death sentence. There can be hope, particularly if there is early detection.
"People should get that screening done, pay attention to their body and take action.
"Early detection means better treatment options. If anything feels off, listen to your body and get it checked out.
"There have been some tough moments where I have felt like it was all too hard. It is about breaking it down into small manageable chunks.
"If you are going through treatment, you just need to buckle down and get on with it," she said.