A CLAYTON-le-Moors woman is planning to shave off her hair in support of her sister who is battling cancer.

Elaine Cunliffe, 45, of Sweet Briar Close, will raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Five weeks ago, her sister, 35-year-old Kellie Rea, was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, a hard-to-treat form of cancer whose growth is not fuelled by hormones.

Shopworker Elaine, who has already raised £1,500, will also need to be screened because the cancer is genetic.

She said: “We were devastated by the diagnosis. We have cancer in the family, so when we heard it, we thought ‘oh no, not another one’.

“Kellie has already undergone extensive surgery and now faces months of chemo- therapy and radiotherapy.

“She has been told she will lose her hair due to the chemotherapy so, to show my love and support for her, I intend to lose mine too.

"She is meeting her doctor this week and we think the chemotherapy will start soon and, because it’s very aggressive, she will lose her hair quickly.

“When she does, that’s when I will shave mine. I think it will be the beg-inning of December.”

Elaine said her 17-year-old son’s reaction was similar to that of her sister’s, who has three stepchildren, and two children of her own.

She said: “She thinks I’m the best thing since sliced bread for doing it, but she didn’t want me to do it at first.

“My son thinks I’m brilliant as well. He thinks I’m mad, but he understands why I’m doing it.”

As well as serving customers at Express Gifts, in Church, with a shaved head, Elaine will also donate her hair to the Little Princesses’ Trust, so it can be made into a wig for a child also suffering from cancer.

Sponsor Elaine by visiting www.justgiving.com/elaine-cunliffe