AN Oswaldtwistle student who filmed a heart-wrenching ‘advert’ based on his own experiences has been approached by MacMillan Cancer Support.

Lee MacNeall filmed the mock advert for his degree course, with the 24-year-old talking on-screen about watching his dad Taz die from the disease when he was 13, before seeing his mum Beryl, 54, diagnosed with terminal cancer earlier this year.

He said: “I’m an advertising student at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and received a brief from my tutor to take something of no value and make it have value and meaning.

“So I used anger and put it into a video talking about feelings to do with cancer.

“I was called by the PR team and they said the might have to edit the video a little bit, but they’d like to use it. There was talk of it being shown at the cinema before movies.”

Lee also launched his own fundraising campaign and has already raised £1,500 by selling cakes in the university’s student union and by taking part in a live waxing session.

Lee said: “I'm still raising money, and receiving donations and Macmillan have contacted me as they would like to use my video.”

In the short two-minute video, which has been viewed 1,600 times on YouTube, Lee said: “Imagine being 13-years-old and being asked to sit down, and then being told one of your parents has cancer.”

“Eleven years after my dad’s passing, I got the devastating news that my mum is ill, ill with cancer, which again is terminal.

“But thankfully, there are people out there that deal with things like this one a day-to-day basis, who make the horrific journey as smooth as possible, who know the ins, the outs, and the answers to all the questions you could ever imagine.

“They are Macmillan.”

Fiona Dundas, senior fundraising manager for Macmillan in the area, said: “The video Lee has produced is incredibly powerful and really conveys the emotional rollercoaster families face when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer.”

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/LeeMac and to see the video visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekSFhbowNbA.