DAILY Echo columnist Stacey Heale features in the third episode of ‘In conversation with George Alagiah: A Bowel Cancer UK podcast’.

Artist, writer, lecturer and curator Stacey, 39, is married to musician, poet and artist Greg Gilbert, who has stage 4 bowel cancer.

During the episode, BBC journalist George interviews Stacey, from Bitterne Park, along with Bowel Cancer UK Chief Executive, Deborah Alsina MBE, on what it’s like caring for someone with bowel cancer.

George and Stacey, who has two young daughters, discuss the impact bowel cancer has had on their families, caring for a loved one and how they felt when they first heard the diagnosis, with Stacey saying, “I remember feeling like all that sound had been turned down…and thinking to myself listen to what they’re saying, listen to all the words, and I just couldn’t hear any sound at all…I thought on the day that Greg was diagnosed that life was over, that my girls lives were going to be ruined forever…but they’re not”.

Bowel Cancer UK Chief Executive, Deborah Alsina MBE said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Stacey for opening up about her experiences of caring for a loved one. Our podcast forms part of our #thisisbowelcancer campaign, which aims to shine a light on the varied and many people affected by the disease. Around 268,000 people living in the UK today have been diagnosed with bowel cancer. This episode emphasises that it doesn’t just impact the person diagnosed. It affects families, friends and colleagues, doctors and nurses, scientists and researchers. That’s millions of people right across the UK.

“We want everyone affected by bowel cancer to come together and take action to help create a future where nobody dies of the disease.”

Bowel cancer is the UK’s fourth most common cancer and second biggest cancer killer with more than 16,000 people dying from the disease every year. However bowel cancer is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early.”

Listen to ‘In conversation with George Alagiah: A Bowel Cancer UK podcast’ with Stacey Heale on caring for a loved one with bowel cancer: www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/podcasts