Wife's appeal sees cancer-stricken husband showered with cards

Christine Steward, aged 36, asked people to help make her husband's birthday an extra special one, using social media to spread the word.

She reached out to Wolverhampton charity Balls to Cancer to help the cause, as they had previously helped get her husband, Andy, who suffers from an incurable terminal adrenal gland cancer which is a rare tumour that affects only one or two people per one million.

The charity, which last time round took him to his team Aston Villa's FA cup final at Wembley against Arsenal earlier in the year with son Hayden, aged five, shared an image asking people to send birthday cards to Andy who has been moved to a hospice on Coronation Road in Stafford.

Christine said she came up with the idea as she wanted to show her husband how many people are supporting him.

She said: "I didn't know what to do for his birthday with the condition he's in. I thought if I could just get people to send cards he would see how many people are supporting him.

On Andy's birthday last Monday, Balls to Cancer posted a picture on their Facebook page with Andy and all his cards with the caption: "Only right we share a photo of the Birthday Boy, Andy. Here he is with just some of the cards you, ?#?TeamNuts? sent him. You really made his day! From Andy, his family and us a massive thank you."

Tributes then began to pour in on the page as Andrew Justice said: "Keep fighting, stay strong and have a great birthday."

Jenny Ellett added: "What a hand full, hope you had a great day. Bet Hayden enjoyed opening them with you.xx"

While Jayne Quigley said: "Never lose your smile, never give up hope and always remember the gift of a devoted wonderful wife and son who will always bring you joy. Xx"

Andy was diagnosed with the condition around four years ago when his son was just six months old.

Christine has described the period since the diagnosis, which the family was told was incurable from the outset, as a 'rollercoaster' with Andy going through five different kinds of chemotherapy treatment.

She said of her husband: "He's very much a joker, he likes to have a laugh. He's also strong and determined to have that extra day or that extra week. He's a fighter."

On the FA Cup Final that Andy and Hayden attended on Saturday May 30 Christine said: "It was fantastic. I contacted Balls to Cancer when I knew Villa had made it through to the final on the off chance they would be able to help us.

"You should have seen Andy's face when I told him him and Hayden were going, it was a picture. He never thought he was going to be able to share that kind of moment with Hayden."

More information on Balls to Cancer can be found on their website http://ballstocancer.co.uk/ or on social media by searching Balls to Cancer on either Facebook or Twitter.