Leah Bracknell went out for lunch after she was told she was dying.
The former ‘Emmerdale’ star – who was known for playing Zoe Tate – felt "angry" when she found out she had terminal lung cancer but didn’t let the prognosis affect her day as she and her partner decided to devour a tasty meal before visiting a peaceful bird sanctuary.
Speaking on ‘This Morning’ on Wednesday (12.10.16), she explained what she did after receiving her prognosis: "I went out for lunch. I went for a very slow walk. I’m not going to lie, I had to sit down a lot.
"But when I was at the hospital with my partner, I just thought, ‘We could sit here crying, worrying’ but I said, "Let’s just go out, it’s a really nice day. Let’s go for a walk." We went out for a walk, we went to a bird sanctuary and was just around nature. It was a really nice time."
Since learning of her condition last month, the 52-year-old actress – who smoked occasionally, tried to follow a vegetarian diet and did regular yoga – is refusing to accept that she may die from the disease and is on a mission to raise cash for treatment at a cutting-edge German hospital.
She explained: "One doesn’t ask, ‘How long do you think I’ve got?’ because you don’t want to be boxed in to someone else’s perspective. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. But I do need to crack on. I don’t think I can afford to sit around. We’re in the process."
And Leah – who has two children – is determined to remain optimistic.
She said: "I’m terribly optimistic. Of course I have moments when the reality hits. I think it’s more about what you’re leaving behind that I find difficult. We’re all going to go somewhere glorious after, we hope."
Leah has already reached the £50,000 target on her fundraising page but she understands she’s not the only person to have terminal cancer, so she’s toying with the idea of setting up a blog to voice her thoughts and feelings.
She explained: "I’m thinking of setting up a blog … just so there’s room to have these discussions and I can bring in what I already do."
Leah Bracknell went out for lunch after cancer prognosis
