A farmer who is living with two different types of cancer has presented a cheque for over £3,000 to cancer charity representatives at the Lodge and Thomas Truro Livestock Centre.

Andrew Pedrick lives with a rare blood cancer as well as prostate cancer, and has 'died' of a cardiac arrest four times. In total, he raised over £8,000 for Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation by auctioning off a ewe lamb at Truro Primestock Show in December.

The ewe was snapped up by young Cornish farmer Charles Harfoot, 9, to breed his own flock at Bray Shop, between Launceston and Callington.

Andrew, who is 68 and farms at Buckfastleigh in South Devon said: “We sell sheep and cattle that would normally go to slaughter, but we decided to auction off a Beltex x Charolais ewe lamb to see if we could raise some money to help other people like me.

“We thought it might fetch around £400 - £500 but the offers came flooding in and she sold for £5,660. It was very emotional - there were lots of tears from lots of people.

“Then, when word got out about what we’d done and why, we received hundreds more in donations and have now reached around £8,500.”

Andrew’s health issues began two years ago. “I’d begun to feel itchy all the time and thought it was something from the animals,” he recalls. “After I got it checked with the doctor, I was sent for a biopsy and discovered it was a rare cancer called mycosis fungoides – a lymphoma of the skin.”

He received a special type of radiotherapy called total skin electron beam therapy, and was recovering well when he suffered a cardiac arrest. During his stay in hospital, nurses noticed he was peeing frequently and decided to check his prostate, leading to a second cancer diagnosis and further radiotherapy.

“I cannot express my gratitude to my GP, the paramedics, hospital staff and those behind the research that have helped me stand here today and give me more time with my family,” he said.

The ewe lamb has settled in well at Treffinick Farm, and her new owner Charles Harfoot hopes to follow in his grandparents’ footsteps by showing her and breeding his own flock from her.

His father John, 53, said: “I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 45 and have had heart trouble myself. That’s why I felt so strongly about supporting this auction. Thankfully I’ve made a full recovery, but it’s important to support these charities.”

Pippa Rothwell, relationship manager for Cornwall is keen to hear from any more members of the farming community who would like to be involved with further fundraising opportunities. “Incredible supporters like Andrew and Charles are helping us to go further and faster in the fight against the disease,” she said. “By raising money for vital research, they’re bringing hope to people affected by cancer in Cornwall, Devon and across the UK.”

Pippa can be contacted by email at [email protected]