A CANCER fighter from Helston who is known throughout town for her smiling face is holding a fundraising event for three charities close to her heart - and is now hoping for donations of raffle prizes.

Debbie Adlard is known to countless shoppers at Helston Tesco, where she continues to work despite being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

She has also kept working as a physiotherapist assistant at Helston Community Hospital.

Now she and her friends are organising an event called Debbie's 80s fundraiser, which will take place at the Godolphin Club on Saturday, March 3 from 7.30pm.

They are hoping for donations of prizes, both big and small, to run a tombola and a raffle. Donations can be passed to Melinda King by calling 07387 198237 or to Linda Roberts at Tesco.

Tickets for the event cost £5 from Angels hair salon, Bradley's estate agents and Four Crows Gallery in Porthleven.

DJ in Cornwall is providing the disco for the evening and there is optional 80s themed fancy dress, with a prize for the best.

Money from the ticket sales and raffle will be shared between the Sunrise Centre, the Headland Unit and the Cove Macmillan Centre, all based on the grounds of the Royal Cornwall Hospital - and all of which Debbie still uses.

It has just passed three years to the day that Debbie first discovered a lump in her breast, thus beginning a long journey of primary breast cancer then a secondary cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy and subsequent chemical burn from it, radiotherapy and numerous scans and infections.

Despite this, she has focussed on the good times she has experienced and the people she has met, saying: "Both of my jobs and the colleagues I work with have been so lovely and accommodating, family have been there behind me and pushed me on when at times I'd given up, especially the love of my life Jimmy and my boys.

"I'm still enjoying life and fighting damned hard for it and will continue to do so; there's so much more I want to do and will do."