Friends to hold charity walk for Sunderland medical sergeant battling incurable cancer and raising money for defibrillators

Lesley Baker, from Penshaw, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and despite being treated for the illness three times, is currently undergoing treatment for the fourth time after being told the cancer has spread and is incurable.

Lesley, 41, works for the North East Ambulance Service in Washington and is a Medical Sgt in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers reserves.

Following her most recent diagnosis, Lesley has made it her mission to fundraise as much money as possible to have defibrillators installed across Wearside.

Now her friends and colleagues are set to hold a walk in her honour on Tuesday, November 23, as a show of support to her.

Walkers will set off from Spanish City in Whitley Bay and walk to South Shields Lighthouse – with anyone allowed to join in and drop out at various points along the way.

Graeme Murray, who is one of the organisers, hopes that the walk will show Lesley that she is in the thoughts of everyone at work.

The 35-year-old said: “At the moment, Lesley isn’t able to return to work so myself and a colleague called Claire Gibson decided that we would arrange something to help with her fundraising for the defibrillators.

"There is only so many messages of support that we could send Lesley but doing something like this shows her that we all are right behind her and care about her at work.”

Graeme also highlighted that the walk is a way that he and other colleagues could give back to Lesley for all the support she has given them.

He added: "There are a lot of ups and downs in our job but she is always posting a joke on Facebook or doing something to keep the spirits of everyone up.

"Throughout lockdown, she would host Facebook Live quizzes with her husband for everyone to get involved in and she is always thinking of everyone else before herself.

"She is an amazing person and is proud of what she does so we want to give back to her.”

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