Charity football match to be held at Gallagher Stadium, Maidstone, for great-grandmother who has terminal cancer
19:25, 01 June 2022
updated: 20:17, 01 June 2022
A charity football match will take place on Friday to raise money for the hospice caring for a nurse who has been told she has just months to live.
Shirley Clark-Sheward, from East Malling, served for more than 40 years as a medic and then in community care. She was diagnosed with lung cancer last year.
The 62-year-old first realised something was wrong back in August 2020.
She said: “I wasn’t feeling very well, so I went to the doctors and they sent me for a scan.
“I didn’t hear anything after that, and in December I got Covid. Gradually I was getting worse and lost a lot of weight.
“So I went back to the doctors, and they sent me for a PET-CT scan and it turned out I had lung cancer.
“Unfortunately it had already spread, and by July last year the cancer went from my lungs to my lymph nodes – there was nothing they could do for me.”
Last October, Shirley heard the news that she had just months to live.
Shirley is a mother to five children, seven grandchildren and now great-grandmother to a three-year-old.
She said: “There are times when you think, why me?
“But then you have to look at it realistically – why not me? Why does it always have to be somebody else?
“It’s not my daughters, it’s not my grandchildren, it’s not my son-in-laws, it’s just me.
“I’m pretty happy with that, as I would never be able to handle it one of my children had cancer.”
Throughout her treatment and diagnosis, the Heart of Kent Hospice charity has been at her side.
She said: “There have been days where if I hadn’t had them to talk to, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Kevin Clark, 34, Shirley’s nephew, has now organised a football charity event in Maidstone, to raise funds for the hospice.
He plays in goal for White Horse Jaguars. They will play Simple Simon FC – a team made up of TikTok stars – on the night.
He said: “We just want to raise awareness for the hospice and as much money as possible.”
The games kicks-off at 7.45pm on Friday at Maidstone’s Gallagher Stadium. Tickets cost £6.
To purchase a ticket for the event, click here.
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