A DARWEN dad who hung up his running shoes 15 years ago has been inspired to don his trainers once again in memory of his wife.

Father-of-five Paul Finch is taking on the Virgin Money London Marathon to raise funds for Cancer Research UK after losing his wife of 22 years Patsy to oesophageal cancer.

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Paul said he hoped to raise as much money as possible for life-saving research.

He said: “Cancer Research UK is very close to my heart.

“I want to help the charity ensure more people can be treated successfully so no one has to go through what my children, Patsy and I went through.

“When I was younger I did four marathons and Patsy used to run shorter distances like 10k too so this just seemed like the right thing to do.”

Patsy began having trouble swallowing her food in 2009 and went to her GP. At first doctors thought she had a cyst but scans didn’t find anything.

The couple, who met aged 22 and 24, kept hoping the problem would get better. But instead it got worse. On one occasion Patsy had to be rushed to hospital while they were on a weekend break in Scotland after food became blocked in her throat. It was during this admission doctors discovered she had cancer.

Patsy, who looked after the deli counter at Tesco in Blackburn, had chemotherapy and radiotherapy at Preston Royal Hospital. After her treatment Paul had to give her food directly into her stomach using a special tube at home.

Eventually Patsy was given the all clear but just a few months after their return, Patsy began struggling to swallow and doctors discovered the cancer was back and even more aggressive.

The couple took the difficult decision for Patsy to have her voice box removed, leaving her with a hole in her neck.

Patsy pulled through and returned home at the start of December 2011.

But on Boxing Day she suffered complications and before Paul and son Joe could get her to hospital Patsy collapsed and died in Paul’s arms.

Paul aims to raise over £2,000 by completing the 26.2mile course. He will also hold a fundraising meal and entertainment evening for the charity at Blackburn Rovers’ Ewood Park ground on May 9 to coincide with Patsy’s 50th birthday.

Helen Jackson, Cancer Research UK’s head of sports, said: “It’s thanks to the support of people like Paul and his family that Cancer Research UK is able to go on making progress in the fight against cancer.”

Visit www.justgiving.com/Paul-Finch2 to donate.