A cancer survivor keen to remind others that looks are "very temporary" has raised more than £1,000 after shaving her hair off.

Toni Crews, 29, from Deal, faced little alternative when it came to having her right eye removed after cancer in her tear gland in 2016.

But earlier this year, following major surgery due to the discovery of a second tumour, it was completely her choice to part ways with her locks.

Toni Crews talks about life after her surgery

The mum-of-two came round from the five-hour operation at London's Charing Cross Hospital in January 2019 to discover a new 12-inch scar across her head.

It was at this point she decided her vibrant red bob-length hair was a "matted mess" she could do without.

Keen to support others in her position, she pledged her commitment to the fundraiser by setting up a JustGiving page from her hospital bed.

She set the online appeal run until the end of her six-week course of radiotherapy last Saturday and is delighted to have raised £1,030 for Cancer Research UK.

She told KentOnline: "Everything went really well and everything seems to be healing well.

"The side affects haven't seemed to affect me as badly as I expected.

"I'm extremely grateful for all the donations and so pleased and proud of everybody who has helped me raise such a phenomenal amount to hopefully help towards people who are suffering with cancer in the future."

Miss Crews - who now runs her own custom made eye patch business Bling-k of an Eye - first noticed puffiness around her eye in May 2016.

It prompted her to visit an optician, who picked up an abnormality which turned out to be cancer.

The former Castle Community College pupil took doctors' advice to undergo a full orbital exenteration – removal of the eyeball and the surrounding tissue such as her eyelid and muscles - to give her the best chance of survival.

But two years later, she developed a new pain behind the socket. A scan uncovered a cherry tomato sized tumour - considerably bigger than her previous cancer which was contained within the tear gland which is approximately the size of an almond.

Miss Crews had to wait seven weeks for surgery and resorted to taking morphine daily to combat the pain which she described as worse than childbirth.

She's since received 30 sessions of radiotherapy spread over a period of six weeks at Kent and Canterbury Hospital.

During the short 10 to 15 minute sessions she would have to lie down with a mask strapped over her face.

She said: "It's completely painless, you just hear a few whirring and buzzing noises."

She marked the end of her treatment by ringing the bell in the oncology ward followed by a celebration meal at ASK Italian with her family and later a glass of wine with friends.

While she must attend regular follow up appointments and scans for the next 10 years, she is now looking forward to some quality family time including a weekend away with her children.

And just like her new hair style, Mrs Crews is proud to continue to show off her scars.

She said: "I very occasionally get the old pirate noise made at me in the street but I've learnt very quickly top brush it off, because nine out of 10 people have such a positive reaction to my scars and to my eye patches and it makes me proud of what I've done and what I'm doing with my eye patches.

"I'm still so proud of my scars because they show the world what I've been through, what I've succeeded in and how I've conquered cancer, and come out of the other side.

"It's taught me a lot about how your looks are very temporary and they're not important.

"Anybody can lose parts of themselves that they deem as being attractive features but what's really important is how you are on the inside and how you treat other people.

"The only reason I wear the patches now is to protect from the sun, not to cover it up."

Cancer Research UK has thanked Toni Crews for her efforts and also included her story on its Instagram account - @cr_uk

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