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A grandmother who was diagnosed with a rare cancerous tumour after her ankle “looked a bit swollen” had to have her leg amputated, but she is now walking with a prosthetic and has achieved her goal of waltzing again with her husband. Shirley Parnell, 75, a retired production coordinator, who lives in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, with her husband, Lawrence, 76, a retired chartered surveyor, noticed a lump on her ankle in July 2022, and little did she know, it would lead to a devastating diagnosis. Shirley “assumed it would be something that (doctors) could fix”, but, after several scans, she was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma, a rare malignant cancerous tumour, and was told a leg amputation would be the only way forward. The mum of two and grandmother of two felt “shocked and in disbelief” as it “hadn’t even crossed (her) mind” that she was going to be diagnosed with cancer. After the surgery, Shirley had an “overwhelming sense of relief” and focused on getting better – to motivate herself, she set herself the goal of being able to dance with her husband again. But, while learning to walk again, Shirley was diagnosed with metastasis lung cancer and could not help but feel “a little bit cheated” as her parents lived until their 90s and she now knows “that’s probably not going to happen.” She did not let this get in the way of her achieving her goal, and in the middle June 2023, she danced with her husband again at a friend’s wedding and said she “had a real sense of achievement”. In July 2022, Shirley got her first warning sign of cancer when she experienced pain in her right ankle. Shirley told PA Real Life: “My ankle started to look a bit swollen – at first, I didn’t think anything of it as I assumed I had just knocked it on something in the house and not realised, but then I noticed a lump. “The lump kept moving around and the pain started to get more intense. So much so that I decided to go and see my local GP.” Shirley’s GP thought it could be a blood clot, so she was prescribed cream and tablets, but after a week, nothing improved. She was then referred to Watford General Hospital for a blood test and an X-ray. Shirley said: “I had just assumed it would be something that they could fix with some medication and the thought of something more serious didn’t really cross my mind. “It was only when they said that the X-ray had come back showing some abnormalities and they wanted me to have an MRI scan, a CT scan and a biopsy that I started to worry. “A few weeks went by, and I tried not to think about the results but then I got a call saying the results were back and they wanted to see me, and I just felt like it was going to be bad news.” At the appointment, Shirley was told she had spindle cell sarcoma, a rare malignant cancerous tumour which can develop in the bone or soft tissue. The doctor suggested that the only option for Shirley was to have her leg amputated to remove the tumour. She said: “As he said those words, I felt shocked and disbelief. “I thought at the time, only last week I was living my life normally, doing things I would come to take for granted such as walking to the shops or going to a Pilates class. “It hadn’t even crossed my mind that it might be cancer, let alone that I would lose a limb because of it.” So, on October 24 2022, at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, Greater London, Shirley had the surgery. She said: “I was very nervous going into surgery but funnily enough I was okay once it was done. “I just had an overwhelming sense of relief that that part was finished. “Everyone has always said to me that I am a very determined person and after the surgery, I just started to look to the future as I felt everything was getting better, so I focused on working towards that.” But, once her leg was amputated, Shirley could not help but feel like she had lost some independence. She said: “Before I could just pop out to pick up some essentials but I had to rely on others to help me, something I am learning to get better at. “I’m so grateful for my husband running me around though.” On January 27 2023, Shirley had a cast made for her prosthetic leg, and it was fitted a week later. She said: “Then came the long and challenging journey of learning how to walk again. “The staff at the Prosthetic Rehabilitation Unit at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital were amazing and their support was what got me through those first few weeks and helped me get used to my new way of moving. “I felt strange but excited with my new leg – it felt like it was a real step forward into being more independent.” When in physiotherapy, Shirley made it her goal to be able to dance at her friend’s wedding with her husband. She said: “My husband and I always loved dancing – he joked that we’ll be doing a jive, but I said maybe a slow waltz.” But, at the end of April 2023, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She said: “My parents lived until they were well into their 90s and I’ll be honest, I fully accepted with my family history that I would do the same. “So it came as a bit of a shock that I now know that that’s probably not going to happen. “I felt a little bit cheated, I suppose, but the other thing it has made me realise is that there are people a lot worse off than me.” Determined not to let the diagnosis impact her goal, Shirley practised walking even more, and at the middle June 2023, they danced together at the wedding. She said: “It was wonderful, I had a real sense of achievement, and being able to have a few dances during the evening was wonderful. “My husband was really proud of me too. “My family have been unbelievably supportive, I can’t thank them enough. “They were so happy for me that day.” Now, Shirley remains under the hospital’s care, having regular scans, and has since passed her driving assistance test. She is also raising money for the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity for its Impossible Possible campaign. Looking back on the last few years, she said: “I appreciate things a lot more now – I take time to appreciate my garden, the flowers blossoming, and my family. “I feel so lucky that I could have the amputation, and it puts things into perspective definitely.” Read More Mother reveals bruise on her toddler’s eye led to cancer diagnosis Jonnie Irwin details experience with palliative hospice care Ben Cohen’s ex-wife says she had only ‘one symptom’ before cancer diagnosis What is cardiac arrest? The condition that LeBron James’ son suffered from Mom left ‘appalled’ after water park says she can’t breastfeed son in lazy river Government has more work to do to ensure families secure quality childcare – MPs

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The Government has more work to do to address “structural problems” in the early years system to ensure families benefit from high-quality affordable childcare under its reforms, MPs have said. Plans to expand the number of subsidised childcare places for working parents in England “should not come at the expense of quality”, the Commons Education Select Committee has warned. From September, the Government will change minimum staff-to-child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for two-year-olds in England, but it will remain optional. The group of MPs said it is “deeply concerned” about the plans and it is calling on the Government to reverse the changes “if quality is degraded”. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced reforms in the Budget in March which will allow some families of children as young as nine months in England to claim 30 hours of free childcare a week. Simply extending the number of hours that the Government calls free will not work unless the funding rates accurately reflect the costs of providing high quality early education and childcare Committee chairman Robin Walker From April next year, working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare. This will be extended to working parents of all children older than nine months from September next year. From September 2025, working parents of children under five will be entitled to 30 hours of free childcare per week. The Education Select Committee said it was a “welcome investment” following concerns raised by parents and early years providers during its inquiry about “affordability and sustainability”. The report added: “However, this investment is much overdue and more will need to be done to address the structural problems in the ECEC (Early Childhood Education Care) system if the funding increases are to be implemented effectively. “In particular, close attention should be paid to effective funding distribution. Settings in disadvantaged areas already struggle more than those in more affluent areas, yet we know that it is children from disadvantaged families that can benefit the most from high-quality ECEC.” The Treasury “missed an opportunity” to reform tax-free childcare and increase the flexibility of the system under its plans to expand free childcare for working parents, the report said. Under the current system, working parents of three and four-year-olds in England are eligible for 30 hours of free childcare per week. The tax-free childcare scheme also allows eligible working families to claim 20% government support with their childcare costs, up to an annual limit of £2,000 per child. The Commons Education Select Committee report said the requirement for parents to reconfirm their eligibility every three months for the 30 hours entitlement and tax-free childcare scheme is “unduly onerous” and should be reduced to once per year. Committee chairman Robin Walker said: “The childcare market is facing significant challenges in affordability and availability, with unprecedented staff turnover and nurseries closing, despite massive demand from parents who want a career and to provide for their families but struggle to find affordable services. It is clear that ministers have more work to do to address this. “Simply extending the number of hours that the Government calls free will not work unless the funding rates accurately reflect the costs of providing high-quality early education and childcare. “We have heard that many settings rely on charging more for the children who attend them outside of the funded hours. It is therefore essential that ministers reduce burdens on the sector and provide adequate funding for all the stages of early education.” He added: “Staff are the lifeblood of this sector and the huge expansion of subsidised childcare will only be successful if we can stem the tide of people leaving the workforce. “There needs to be a revamp of career development, with improvements to pay, progression and conditions so that the profession is given the respect and status it deserves.” Not only have years of severe underfunding plagued the sector but the worst staffing crisis in decades has created a perfect storm which must be addressed if the sector has any chance of survival in the coming years Neil Leitch, Early Years Alliance The cross-party group of MPs is calling on the Department for Education (DfE) to “work closely” with childcare providers and local authorities across the country “to set the funding rate at a sufficient level.” It added that the DfE should stop describing the 30 hours offer as ‘free hours’ and instead refer to it as ‘funded’ or ‘subsidised’ hours to “improve parental trust” in the childcare subsidy system. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance (EYA), said: “Not only have years of severe underfunding plagued the sector but the worst staffing crisis in decades has created a perfect storm which must be addressed if the sector has any chance of survival in the coming years. “If that wasn’t bad enough, it’s likely that the upcoming sector expansion will be dangerously underfunded and will place unrealistic expectations on providers already on the brink.” He added: “For the committee’s findings to truly have a lasting impact, we hope against hope that it finally wakes the Government up to the reality of the situation facing families and providers and prompts urgent and effective action.” Last week, the Government said reforms expanding the amount of free childcare for parents will be “properly and fairly funded”. The DfE said its proposed new funding formula, which is now out for consultation, provides “additional funding for areas of deprivation”. The increased funding will see the expected average rate paid to local authorities for 2024/25 to be set at £8.17 for two-year-olds and £11.06 for under-twos, the DfE said. A Government spokesperson said: “We are rolling out the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever, set to save a working parent using 30 hours of childcare up to an average of £6,500 per year and give children the best quality early years education. “To make sure that we are supporting our fantastic early years workforce, we will be investing hundreds of millions of pounds each year to increase the amounts we pay childcare providers. We also are consulting on how we distribute funding to make sure it is fair.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wall squat exercises can help lower blood pressure, study suggests Wall sits and planks the best exercises for lowering blood pressure, study suggests Everything you need to know about using a defibrillator

Exercises such as “wall sits” could be the best form of activity to help people reduce blood pressure, a new study suggests. Other physical activity including cardio, resistance training and HIIT workouts are also good for bringing down resting blood pressure levels, researchers found. But isometric exercises – those that involve engaging muscles without movement, such as wall sits and planks – provide the best results, they said. The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, saw researchers conduct analysis on previous studies looking at exercise and blood pressure. These findings provide a comprehensive data driven framework to support the development of new exercise guideline recommendations for the prevention and treatment of arterial hypertension Researchers Some 270 studies were included in the final analysis which contained data on almost 16,000 people. They examined the impact different exercises had on systolic blood pressure, which notes the force at which the heart pumps blood around the body; and diastolic blood pressure, the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels between heartbeats when blood is pumped around the heart. The researchers, led by academics at Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent, found that there were significant reductions in resting blood pressure following cardio (aerobic exercise); dynamic resistance training, such as squats, press-ups and weights; high intensity interval training (HIIT); and combined training and HIIT. But the largest reductions were seen after isometric exercise training. A secondary analysis on specific types of exercises found the most benefit was seen among those who performed “isometric wall squats” and among runners. The academics said that current exercise recommendations for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure are based on “older data” and suggest that it may be time to review the current guidelines. “Aerobic exercise training, dynamic resistance training, combined training, high-intensity interval training and isometric exercise training are all significantly effective in reducing resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure,” they wrote. “Overall, isometric exercise training is the most effective mode in reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. “These findings provide a comprehensive data driven framework to support the development of new exercise guideline recommendations for the prevention and treatment of arterial hypertension.” For the average adult high blood pressure is considered to be from 140/90mmHg. When a person’s blood pressure is too high it puts extra strain on blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes. Persistent high blood pressure can lead to a number of serious health problems including heart attacks, strokes and vascular dementia. While there are medications which can help, people can make a number of life-style changes to help bring their blood pressure down including regular exercise, losing weight, cutting back on caffeine, alcohol and salt. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wall sits and planks the best exercises for lowering blood pressure, study suggests Everything you need to know about using a defibrillator What you need to know about the massive LVMH deal with the Paris Olympics

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Layers of potato interleaved with clotted cream, spinach, a hint of garlic and nutmeg – a dish that will bring you together with people you love,” says chef Emily Scott. “Wild garlic is a perfect replacement for the spinach, when it is in season. It has a subtle fragrance and works in pesto, risottos, pasta, scones and here in this delicious dauphinoise.” Dauphinoise potatoes with spinach and clotted cream Serves: 8 Ingredients: 50g (2oz) unsalted butter 300g (10½ oz/1½ cups) clotted cream 150ml (5fl oz/scant 2⁄3 cup) creme fraiche or Rodda’s double (heavy) cream 1 whole nutmeg, for grating 1.2kg (2lb 10oz) waxy potatoes, peeled (Desirée potatoes work well) 900ml (30fl oz/3½ cups) full-fat milk 2 bay leaves 1 garlic clove, halved lengthways 200g (7oz) baby spinach, washed and stalks removed (wild garlic is a perfect alternative when in season) Cornish sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan/320F/gas 2). Grease the sides and bottom of an oven-to-table dish with a little of the butter and set the rest aside to use later. 2. Place the clotted cream and creme fraîche in a bowl and stir together, then add a pinch of sea salt, some black pepper and a grating of nutmeg. 3. Cut the potatoes into 2.5mm (1⁄8 in) slices. Place them in a heavy-based pan and cover with the milk, then add a good pinch of sea salt, another grating of nutmeg, the bay leaves and garlic. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes (be careful – the bottom of the pan can catch). Drain, discarding the milk, garlic and bay leaves. 4. Carefully layer the potatoes in the buttered dish alternating them with layers of spinach, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Make sure the top and bottom layers are just potato. Pour over the clotted cream mixture, making sure the top layer is just covered. Finish the top off with some more grated nutmeg and a few knobs of the remaining butter. 5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, or until golden brown and a table knife passes through with ease. Allow to rest. ‘Time & Tide’ by Emily Scott (Hardie Grant, £28).