A terminal cancer victim has been granted her greatest wish, to have a professional portrait taken of her for her family to treasure.

Brave Lynda Fox, 44, of Dawson Mount, Bierley, said it had been "a dream of day" after the Telegraph & Argus made her wish come true yesterday.

The idea for the special day came after one of Lynda's best friends, Kathy Smith, 42, who lives in the same street, won a make-over at the Riva Bingo in Bierley where the pair often go for a night out.

Lynda confessed privately she'd love to have the same done to her and as a surprise her friends at the bingo club contacted the T&A to see if we'd help out - and we swung into action. With the help of mail order clothing company Grattan, a stylist from Mario's hairdressers in Bradford city centre and a makeover team from by Boots the Chemist, Lynda was given the full top-to-toe beauty treatment.

Copies of the portrait, taken by T&A photographer Steve Bootle, are also going to be given to Lynda's two brothers and five sisters who all live in the Bradford district.

Lynda said: "I never got married but I come from a big family and all my sisters have got pictures of them looking lovely when they got married so I just wanted a nice one of me. It's been a dream of a day."

The former Grattan and Empire customer service worker was first diagnosed suffering from stomach cancer in February, 1995 and after having her stomach removed went through six months of chemotherapy before she went into remission.

Her condition was monitored by Bradford Royal Infirmary every month but unfortunately in September 1996 she was readmitted with a cancerous growth on her hip and bowel. More treatment followed by in February this year the disease had spread to her kidneys, liver and spleen.

Lynda said: "I haven't asked the doctors how long I've got because I don't believe in that. They did offer me chemotherapy but said there was only a ten per cent chance of success so I've refused it because it made me so ill last time."

* Lynda, and the T&A, would like to thank John Stagg and Lorna Young at Grattan's press office; Carol Exley at Marios; Rachael Hardisty and Leanne Baker at Boots; and Riva bingo's manager Mike Craig who all get a bouquet of flowers.

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