Village stages music and beer festival to help young Milton Keynes mum beat cancer

A village has come together to organise a music and beer festival to help a young mum beat her diagnosis of terminal cancer.
Emily and EvelynEmily and Evelyn
Emily and Evelyn

Bow Brickhill is staging Bowfest on Saturday and is urging people to come and support resident Emily Locking.

Emily was given eight weeks to live when she was diagnosed in 2015, shortly after the birth of daughter Evelyn.

The cancer had started in her bowel but was “incredibly advanced” and had already spread to her liver, doctors told her.

Emily and EvelynEmily and Evelyn
Emily and Evelyn

“I was told I could never be cured and was terminal. I’ve done everything I can to get this cancer out of me and it’s still an ongoing process,” said Emily, who has undergone a year of intense chemo and radiotherapy.

She has had the tumour in her bowel removed, cancer cut out of her lung, and also surgery to remove the entire right side of her liver.

Doctors say there is a high chance of the cancer returning to the liver. But when it does, the organ is too battered to withstand more treatment.

“My only chance of surviving would be to have a transplant. This isn’t available as an option in the UK so I need to self fund this abroad. It costs around £150,000, said Emily, who lives in Bow Brickhill.

Brave EmilyBrave Emily
Brave Emily

She has set up her own crowdfunding page at www.gofundme.com/emilylocking to raise as much as possible towards the cost. It currently stands at £38,000.

Bowfest runs from 11.30am to 7pm at Hornes Brewery in Station Road, Bow Brickhill. Parking is at The Pavillion in Rushmere Close.

There will be music, bands, a real ale bar, a barbecue, children's play area, a bouncy castle, and stalls and sideshows.

A raffle and auction will be held, with prizes donated by local businesses.

Tickets are £5 in advance (from [email protected] or Hornes Brewery website) or £7 on the day. Under 12s go free.