Published3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Family photoBy Caroline LowbridgeBBC News, East MidlandsA woman whose partner died from cancer while she was also being treated for the disease has thanked the local community for their help.Stacey Chetwyn found out she had cancer in her pelvis just days after her partner Stuart Ashby learned he had cancer in his oesophagus.Mr Ashby, from Syston in Leicestershire, died three weeks after being diagnosed.People donated more than £26,000 to help towards the family’s living costs.Miss Chetwyn, who has sons aged six and 10, said this had helped while she was being treated and was unable to work, and had made their family more financially secure.”Every little bit of help I am forever thankful for, whether it’s taking the kids out or helping me in the house or taking the financial strain away, that has helped massively,” she said.”I can’t even put into words how thankful we as a family will ever be for that, especially while we were trying desperately to sort things out.”Image source, Stu AshbyMiss Chetwyn had previously been diagnosed with cervical cancer in September 2020, but was treated for this and told she was in remission in April 2021.However, she was admitted to hospital on 10 September 2023 after experiencing pain and mobility problems, and was told she had cancer in her pelvis on 11 October.Meanwhile, Mr Ashby had been admitted to hospital on 24 September because of pain he was experiencing. He was told he had cancer in his oesophagus, liver and spleen on 5 October.Mr Ashby was then moved to LOROS hospice in Leicester, and died on 22 October.’Kids were the strength'”Unfortunately he just sadly deteriorated extremely fast,” said Miss Chetwyn.”We tried everything we could; the disease was too strong.”She said the loss of Mr Ashby, who was “the love of my life”, had left her distraught.”For the sake of the kids, they’re the reason I get up each day,” she said.”Without them I don’t know where I’d be. So they were the strength through the storm.”Image source, Stacey ChetwynNow Miss Chetwyn’s cancer treatment has ended, she intends to raise money for LOROS by holding an event on 2 March to celebrate her partner’s life.It has been timed to mark what would have been Mr Ashby’s 48th birthday on 29 February.”Stu was born on a leap year and in 2024 he has an actual birthday, so this will be his 12th birthday,” said Miss Chetwyn.”I’m hosting it as a charity event to raise as much money as I can for LOROS for the immense care that they provided for Stu in the short time he was there at the hospice.”‘Get it checked’The event will be held at the Avantay Banqueting Suite in Syston.Miss Chetwyn has also been encouraging women to get screened for cervical cancer through her Facebook page, called Cerviving: My Journey with the Big C.She wants to encourage men and women to get cancer symptoms checked early.”For anything that you feel is not right, just go and get it checked, because it might be nothing but it might be something,” she said.Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.More on this storyParents with cancer ‘blown away’ by donationsPublished14 October 2023Related Internet LinksLOROSThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Published2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.By Caroline LowbridgeBBC NewsThe parents of a girl who died after inhaling aerosol deodorant want clearer product labelling to warn people of the potential dangers.Giorgia Green, who was 14 and from Derby, had a cardiac arrest after spraying the deodorant in her bedroom.Her parents have since become aware of other young people who accidentally died after inhaling deodorant.In response, the British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (BAMA) said deodorants have “very clear warnings”.By law, aerosol deodorants must be printed with the warning “keep out of reach of children”.However, Giorgia’s parents said the writing is small.They believe many parents buy deodorant for their children without noticing the warning.”People don’t know how dangerous the contents of those tins can be,” said her father Paul.”I would like it so that no-one else in the country – or the world – would end up having to go through what we’ve personally gone through.”We don’t want our daughter’s death to be in vain.”Image source, Family photoGiorgia had autism and her father said she liked to spray deodorant on blankets as she found the smell comforting.”The smell of it gave her a certain sense of relaxation,” said Mr Green.”If she was feeling in any way a little bit anxious, she would spray this spray and it would give her a sense of comfort because it’s a deodorant my wife used.”Giorgia’s older brother found her unresponsive in her bedroom on 11 May 2022.”Her door was open, so it wasn’t as if it was an enclosed environment,” said her father.”The exact amount [of deodorant] isn’t clear but it would be more than you would normally spray.”At some point her heart stopped as a result of breathing it in.”An inquest was held into Giorgia’s death and the coroner recorded the conclusion as misadventure.Her medical cause of death was “unascertained but consistent with inhalation of aerosol”.Image source, Getty ImagesAccording to the ONS, “deodorant” was mentioned on 11 death certificates between 2001 and 2020.However, the actual number of deaths is likely to be higher than this, due to the fact that specific substances are not always mentioned on death certificates.Giorgia’s death certificate referred to “inhalation of aerosol” rather than “deodorant”.Butane – the main ingredient of Giorgia’s deodorant – was recorded as having been involved in 324 deaths between 2001 and 2020. Propane and isobutane – also in Giorgia’s deodorant – were mentioned in 123 and 38 deaths respectively.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the substances have been linked to a number of deaths, noting: “The inhalation of butane or propane gas can lead to heart failure”.The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) said a number of people have died after over-spraying deodorants.Ashley Martin, public health adviser at RoSPA, said: “It’s easy to assume they are completely safe and totally free from risk. The truth is they’re not.”Inhaling large quantities of aerosols, not just deodorants, can lead to a whole host of life-endangering scenarios – from blackouts and breathing difficulties, to heart rhythm changes and sadly, death. “There’s a common misconception that fatalities from aerosols only happen in a substance abuse scenario, but this is absolutely not true.”We have seen a number of fatalities over recent years where children and young adults have over-sprayed aerosols – from teenagers conscious of body odour, to children seeking reassurance from familiar smells.”What warnings are printed on aerosol deodorants?By law, aerosol deodorants must be printed with the warning “keep out of reach of children”.Most aerosol deodorants also have a warning that says “solvent abuse can kill instantly”. This is not a legal requirement, but is recommended by BAMA due to the risk of people inhaling aerosols to intentionally get high.Giorgia’s parents believe the warning should be changed to “solvent use can kill instantly”, because Giorgia was not abusing deodorant.Aerosol deodorants must also contain instructions on their correct usage, which are written following risk assessments carried out by the manufacturer. For example, the instructions might say “use in short bursts in well-ventilated places”.If an aerosol deodorant is flammable there must also be a warning about this.Image source, Family photoBAMA said in a statement: “The British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (BAMA) takes very seriously any incident involving aerosol products, and we were deeply saddened to learn of the death of someone so young.”As an industry association we work with manufacturers to ensure that aerosols are made to the highest safety standards and are labelled with very clear warnings and usage instructions and recommend that anyone using an aerosol does so in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.”We also recommend applying a number of additional warnings and usage instructions, beyond those required by regulation, and continue to review these to encourage the safe use of aerosols.”Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.More on this storyBoy died after inhaling spray ‘that smelt of mum’17 October 2019Deodorant obsession killed boy29 October 1998Related Internet LinksBAMAThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.