Cancer patient raises money for Dartford hospice

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Alan Nugent describes the care he believes has prolonged his life

A man who was given days to live when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 has raised £10,000 for the hospice that has been caring for him since March.

Alan Nugent, 42, from Dartford, Kent, was diagnosed with Pseudonmyxoma Peritonei (PP), a rare form of cancer affecting the abdomen in February.

He hopes to raise a further £5,000 for the EllenorLions Hospice in Dartford.

Mr Nugent said he did what he could day-to-day and that staff at the hospice "made my life worth living".

'New energy'

PP affects between two or three people in every million each year and targets the abdomen, filling the cavity with mucus.

Mr Nugent said: "It's six weeks now [since going to the hospice] and I feel great, although I know that the tumour is still there, I just do what I can and live from day to day."

The hospice looks after 500 patients at any one time both in the hospice and in the community.

Linda Trew from the hospice said: "The determination to raise the funds just seems to have given him a real focus and a new energy.

"It's wonderful to see somebody who's determined.

"He's got this real drive and desperately wants to give something back to the hospice that's been providing the care for him."