IT was a birthday Kay Fairhurst thought she would never see.

And to mark her 50th year, she could think of no better way of celebrating than to throw a party in support of those who had saved her life.

Instead of presents, she asked guests to make donations to The Christie Hospital — and £1,045 was raised by more than 100 guests who attended.

In 2003, Mrs Fairhurst, from Westhoughton, was given just six months to live when doctors said they could not operate on a huge tumour in her stomach.

But eventually, having been diagnosed with non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma, she was treated at The Christie.

An initial course of chemotherapy shrunk the tumour but the cancer remained.

It was followed by radiotherapy which also failed, and R-CHOP, a particularly unpleasant form of chemotherapy given to patients with non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

She battled the cancer for four years, during which time she also lost her brother Michael, to a brain haemorrhage.

In 2007, she was finally told she was in remission, although the married mother-of-two must live with the knowledge that the cancer could return at any time.

Today, she is back at work as a childminder, and looks a world away from the woman she once was.

She turned 50 on March 30, and a fundraising birthday party was held at Rumworth Hall in April.

Mrs Fairhurst said: “The party was to say thank you to The Christie and my friends and family who supported me while I was poorly. It was such a special evening. At one time I didn’t think I would reach 50.”

The party was supported by many local businesses and people who donated money and goods for the raffle.

She added: “The money raised does make a difference to The Christie; they are making improvements all the time and they are just brilliant.”