A TORFAEN woman has been spearheading a campaign to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer this month.

With November marking pancreatic cancer awareness month, and World Pancreatic Cancer Day falling on November 13 last week, Linda Reardon has been urging people to support the campaign to raise awareness about the disease.

Highlights of the campaign so far have included Cardiff City Hall and the Senedd being lit up purple, a Pancreatic Cancer UK Awareness reception at the Welsh Assembly, and a 'Purple Butterfly Ball of Promise' at the Celtic Manor, which has raised more than £7,000.

Ms Reardon, who runs two online support groups for families affected, as well as a PanCan Pals support group at St Davids Hospice, said: "I am so grateful to the Welsh Assembly Government for lighting up the Senedd in purple to mark World Pancreatic Cancer Day.

"I think that the Senedd looked stunning and could be seen clearly from Penarth and surrounding areas.

"Torfaen Assembly Member Lynne Neagle and myself, together with my grandson Santino Palmieri, who attends St Josephs RC High School in Newport; Andrew Forster, a pancreatic cancer patient, and his wife Elizabeth, stood on the steps of the Senedd from 4.30 to 7pm to raise awareness of this vile disease."

She added about the Purple Butterfly Ball of Promise: "As Alex Ford (CEO of Pancreatic Cancer UK) said in her speech at the the ball: 'there are 150 people in this room, if everyone here was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer today, in five years time there would be just six people left....roughly half a table of guests'."

"If we are ever to have a chance of getting similar survival rates as breast, prostrate or bowel cancer we really do need to make people aware of the symptoms. "Please go to www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk to find out more information.

"If anyone would like to donate to help further please go to www.justgiving.com/Butterflyballforpc or to donate £3 text PBBP72 to 70070."