A BARRY supermarket has backed a local mum in her campaign to bring one of the latest cancer treatments to Wales.

Sainsbury’s Local, Park Crescent, Barry, has kicked off its support for Karen Holroyd by making Karen’s Cause its charity of the year and donating an initial £500 through its community grant scheme.

The donation to the Barry-based charity comes through customers using Bags For Life and supports Karen, fellow trustee Natalie Sluman, and supporters, in their efforts to fund a cyberknife radiotherapy machine.

Thirty-three-year-old mum-of-two Karen originally started her own fundraising campaign to pay for the cancer treatment which was only available in England.

After getting over an earlier cancer, medics told Karen the disease had returned, but that further chemotherapy and standard radiotherapy would damage her internal organs.

But after reading an article, via the Barry & District News website, Karen discovered there could be a solution in the form of the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System - a non-invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of cancerous and non-cancerous tumours.

The treatment is not available in Wales however, meaning Karen needed to raise £22,000 to cover the cost.

Part-way through her fundraising - under the banner of Karen’s Cause, which won supporters far and wide - the NHS in Wales agreed to fund her treatment and she is now in remission following the procedure.

Karen decided that the cash she and her supporters had already raised should be used to help fellow patients – and they have set about raising further funds to try and bring a machine to Wales to help sufferers here.

Sainsbury’s team leader Sarah Trepleton said customers and staff had voted on what should be the charity of the year and Karen’s Cause had emerged the victor.

She said: “It’s a great charity.”

Former store manager Lucy Cameron added: “Our store is at the heart of the community and it’s really important we do as much as we can to support it.

“When we heard about Karen’s Cause we were really pleased to be able to help out.”

Karen, an administration officer at Island View residential home, Barry, said: “I think the Bags For Life idea is a good way to help charities like ourselves to raise funds.

“I’d like to say thank you very much to Sainsbury’s and its customers for making us its charity of the year.

“We are looking forward to working with them.”

To support Karen and the team's fundraising mission, follow Karen’s Cause on Facebook.