Polegate woman with rare eye cancer climbs Snowdon in aid of charity

A Polegate woman who saw “white flashes” in her eye caused by a cancerous tumour has climbed Snowdon in a bid to raise money for charity.
Kerry and husband Ben on top of Snowdon with friendsKerry and husband Ben on top of Snowdon with friends
Kerry and husband Ben on top of Snowdon with friends

Kerry Williams, 32, of Barham Road in Polegate, completed the climb on September 1 and has raised nearly £500 for eye cancer charity OcuMelUK - which provide help and support to people with ocular melanoma.

The pension regulator specialist said, “My journey started when I began getting white flashes in my eye and decided to go for a check up at Vision Express in Eastbourne where the optometrist identified something in my eye and referred me to A&E.”

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Kerry was sent to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London where her condition was diagnosed - which affects just 750 people each year - in November 2018.

Kerry Williams after her treatmentKerry Williams after her treatment
Kerry Williams after her treatment

In January 2019 she went for treatment to have a radioactive plaque fitted into her eye, for nearly four days, to kill the tumour. She is still waiting to find out if the treatment was a success.

Kerry said, “If it wasn’t for the Vision Express check up I had, the tumour would have grown and this cancer can be aggressive and spreads quickly.”

She was in isolation in the London hospital for four days of treatment and could only see visitors for two hours at a time due to the radioactivity.

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During her on-going battle Kerry said she struggled to find information and support groups surrounding the condition until she found OcuMelUK.

She said the charity’s Facebook group is just one of the online resources that allows her to share her experiences, ask questions and be part of the community which has “really supported me”.

Kerry climbed Snowdon with husband Ben and best friends Lucy and Neil.

She said, “It was tough. I’m not particularly active but I wanted to do something to raise money and challenge myself. The conditions were very steep and it started off quite windy but we managed to get up there in three hours and came back down in two.”

Kerry urges anyone to go and get a £10 eye-check up which potentially saved her life.

To donate to Kerry’s just giving page visit www.justgiving.com/Kerry-Williams87.

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