A mum of four whose husband died of cancer in the summer has been battling the disease herself for the last nine years.
But now Claire Dundas, of Kingsteignton, said she is ready to stand up to cancer.
She is still coming to terms with the premature death of her husband Sean, who died of the disease in July, aged just 47 years.
For Claire, aged 41, and her children Chloe 20, Sam 18, Molly 11 and Harvey 10, the word 'cancer' has been an all too familiar word since her children were very small.
Together they are joining forces with Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 to help promote Stand Up To Cancer, their dynamic fundraising campaign and a special March on Cancer event in Plymouth on Saturday 11 October.
The family know from personal experience how crucial new developments and breakthroughs in treatment are to help people like their mum survive.
So dressed in a campaign T-shirts and standing at the town's football club where their father coached, they are urging men, women and children in the region to make a stand against this devastating disease by raising funds for vital research.
Claire's husband Sean, who coached the under 10s team at Kingsteignton Youth FC died aged 47 from cancer on 18th July. He was a sports fan and loved to keep fit both coaching and playing football.
"Sean loved his sport and he was never one to get ill. He had had a cough for months and eventually saw the GP who assured him it was nothing to worry about," Claire explained.
"It wasn't until he got knocked over onto his shoulder whilst playing 5 a-side football that a swelling appeared on his neck.
"He then returned to his doctor who sent him for an x ray, which instantly showed he was riddled with cancer. We were all in a state of shock. I had lived with my cancer for years and Sean had been strong in helping me cope with my diagnosis,"
Referrals and other scans quickly followed which culminated in a diagnosis of a rare type of cancer – Plasmablastic Lymphoma.
By this time it had reached an advanced stage which had spread to his neck, chest, lungs and spine.
Sean's diagnosis came whilst Claire had been through many years of treatment for cancer herself which required operations on her neck, sternum and chest cavity.
He helped her cope with the regular visits to hospital both at Torbay and Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield where Claire has been receiving ongoing treatment and monitoring for Medullary Thyroid Cancer.
"Cancer rips your family apart. The pressure is huge in many different areas. As the surviving parent you have to keep both yourself and your children strong, but the difficulties are many and the emotional aspect is just one part," Claire added.
"I have checks every four to six months since being diagnosed with Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) which has affected my neck, vocal cords, sternum and chest. I was diagnosed in 2005, a month after news of Kylie Minogue's cancer was announced.
"Sean was always there for me and supported me through all the many operations and treatments. No one ever thought Sean would have been affected by ill health, he was very sporty and never had a day off ill, so his diagnosis came as a huge shock to us and all those that knew Sean."
Whilst new drugs could help Claire, they will come too late for Sean.
She added: "The need for development and research into cancer is vital to stop more young men, with everything to live for, from dying far too young."
Plymouth has been chosen as one of only 15 cities to host March on Cancer, these unique events which will take place simultaneously around the UK on Saturday, 11 October, the week before the live TV fundraiser.
Starting at 7.30pm at The Hoe, participants will come together and march for 45 minutes through the streets accompanied by live music, entertainment and stories from people who've beaten cancer
Stand Up To Cancer unites scientists, celebrities and communities across the South West and the UK to generate funds, raise awareness and accelerate new cancer treatments to help patients and save more lives.
It will culminate in a live TV fundraiser on Friday 17 October as an army of millions tune in for a night of live TV on Channel 4 hosted by Davina McCall, Alan Carr and Dr Christian Jessen.
Stand Up To Cancer raises money for translational research, which takes developments in the lab and transforms them into new tests and treatments for cancer patients.
Alison Birkett at Cancer Research UK explained: "We are calling on everyone in the South West to join us and unite with people across the UK and stand up to this terrible disease.
"One in three people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. Thanks to the incredible progress that's been made in the last 40 years, more people are surviving than ever before.
"But we can't afford to stand still. We have the technology and the knowledge to conquer cancer; we just need the funds to turn it into real-life treatments. There are so many different ways to get involved. This is our chance to make history, please join us."
