AN inspirational Clent woman fighting back against an incurable cancer diagnosis is determined to raise around £125,000 for a charity which helps people facing similar battles.

Mum-of-two Deb Gascoyne was given the devastating news that she had myeloma, cancer of the bone marrow, at the age of just 34 and she was given a life expectancy of two to five years.

Now, eight years on, after undergoing successful chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, she is working tirelessly to raise money for Myeloma UK which funds research into a cure for the deadly disease.

To date, she has raised more than £100,000 - having taken a team to walk the Yorkshire 3 Peaks, organised a large ball a year after her stem cell transplant and having taken part in an array of other challenges in the run-up to her 40th birthday.

But she's not stopping there.

Gutsy Deb, now 42, who has been in remission for the last six years, said: "I had no control over what was happening with the cancer.

"This was something I could focus on and control - it was my way of being able to get on with stuff and be successful. Since I started I just got the bug and I've just carried on.

"I am really determined to reach the £125,000 mark, ideally before my myeloma returns and I need new treatment."

Originally from Buckinghamshire, Deb - who used to work in HR or a large bank - moved to the Midlands in 2015 and she said: "I decided it was important to raise awareness in this area in the same way as I did down in Buckinghamshire.

"Myeloma UK works massively hard to fund research into a cure, whilst also supporting patients, carers and families while they live with their diagnosis."

Deb's latest fundraising event for the charity will be a food and wine pairing event at Hogarths Stone Manor, Worcestershire, which she's organised with the help of wine merchants Nickolls & Perks in Stourbridge.

The event, called The Perfect Pair, will take place on April 22 and Deb - who has focussed on corporate and community fundraising since her illness - hopes it will raise well over £5,000 for Myeloma UK.

She added: "Ideally I'll be raising the target to £10,000."

The bash, for 120 people, will include a silent auction featuring top class prizes including two VIP tickets to the British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch, a balloon flight, a Tiffany clock, afternoon tea, a spa day at Bannatyne Health Club, wine tasting session at Nickolls & Perks and a seven-decade tasting experience at Glenfarclas distillery in Scotland for two people plus dinner and bed and breakfast in a hotel.

Tim Robbins, marketing and events manager at Nickolls & Perks, said: "To put this in context, you can’t buy a seven-decade tasting from Glenfarclas; this is a very special offer and has already generated a lot of interest – I expect the winning bid to be well over £1,000."

Tickets for The Perfect Pair event are available online from www.theperfectpair2017.wordpress.com or by emailing theperfectpair2017@gmail.com.

To find out more about Myeloma UK go to www.myeloma.org.uk/ and to read more about Deb's journey check out her blog https://debsjourneywithmyeloma.wordpress.com/.