CANON Simon Stevenette’s son Robert is shaving his head to celebrate ten years since his father fought off cancer.

The 20-year-old was only 10 when his dad was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in August 2003.

But this year the 51-year-old vicar at Christ Church in Old Town is celebrating 10 years in remission, and to mark the occasion Robert, a student of politics at Cardiff University, hopes to raise £1,000 in a sponsored headshave.

He said: “When my dad was being treated for cancer it was a really testing time for the family. My mum was expecting my youngest brother Hugo.

“But the care and support my dad and my mum and the whole family got from the team at the GWH was just amazing. They were all so supportive and got us all through it.”

It will also be five years in July since Robert’s grandmother lost her battle with cancer.

Robert said: “My dad beat cancer, and my grandfather, my dad’s dad had bowel cancer, and five years ago this July my grandmother died from mesothelioma, an aggressive form of lung cancer caused by asbestos.

“It’s always been something that affected my family a lot, like it has affected many families and it felt like it was a good time to do something to raise some money for cancer research.

“I started raising money in early May.

“Shaving my head is really just a way of showing solidarity really for those when they lose their hair in chemotherapy.”

Robert plans to go under the scissors on Friday, the day after his last final-year exams at his home in Cardiff.

He said: “I am going to have a lot of friends round and make it a bit of an occasion.

“I will do the headshave on June 6 but the money won’t be sent to Cancer Research UK until July 3, so people will have a chance to donate up to then.

“My target is £1,000, and I’ve raised about £800 so far but I just want to raise as much as I can.

“So many people have already supported me and been so generous. I just want to say a big thank you to them.”