Choir brings smiles to those affected by cancer

THEY say music is a great healer. It certainly rings true for Julie Pavett.

S WALES, UK — When the mum of two was diagnosed with breast cancer last summer, she admits she shut down and refused to accept the illness.  When she found a lump on her breast she spent weeks hoping it would go away before seeing her doctor. By the time she had the results from her mammogram the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and she required radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Julie, of Roman Road, Banwen in Neath, says the news came as a shock to her and she tried to live her life as normal as possible.  “I shut down and in some way I tried to pretend it was not happening to me,” she says.

“I tried to ignore it and carried on as normal. When I started my treatment it was then it started to sink in but I was determined to beat the cancer and tried to remain positive throughout.” It was during Julie’s radiotherapy treatment that she heard of the Tenovus Sing for Life choir — a project initially started in 2010 in Pontypridd and funded by the Big Lottery Fund.