A second chance at life has given well-known local farmer Graham Hughes the opportunity to raise a staggering £6,000 as a thank you to the medical staff who gave him that gift.

Graham, aged 64, was diagnosed with an ‘inoperable bile duct tumour’ and given weeks to live last summer.

“Thankfully, Ward C2 Liver Unit at the Heath Hospital, Cardiff, took on my case, and I live to tell the tale,” said Graham, of New Hedges.

“I vowed that when I was given the all-clear I would raise money for the ward, because I owe them my life.”

A major operation revealed that Graham had been suffering from abscesses on his liver, gall bladder and bile duct and he has made an excellent recovery.

So with the encouragement of his wife Alwen, Graham trained all spring and summer and ran the Cardiff 10k last month.

Graham’s daughter Sian Vaughan-Evans, son Gareth Hughes, coach, Stewart Pearce, best friend John Butland and his daughter Claire, ran alongside him on the day, while over in New South Wales, Australia, daughter Marie Kelly also ran a 10k run, with her children Nia, 10, Rhys, eight, and four-year-old Erin doing a 10k sponsored walk.

Through kind sponsorship donated by family and friends, plus a fundraising coffee morning, the magnificent sum of £5,000 was raised for the Ward C2 Liver Unit, while a concert, held at Tenby’s Greenhill School, by kind permission of headteacher, Janet Kingston, and arranged by Angela Roberts and Amanda Harries, featuring Bella Voce, St. Teilo’s and St. Oswald’s school choirs and Greenhill Jazz Band raised a further £912 for Saundersfoot District Nurses who looked after Graham when he was home from hospital.

“I have been totally overwhelmed by the generosity of family, friends and well-wishers,” said Graham.

“It has been a tough recovery, but being able to present two such magnificent sums of money to the teams who do such good work has been really heartwarming and Alwen and I do sincerely thank everyone for their kindness and support.”