Woman plans head shave during husband’s wake in aid of cancer charity

The wife of a terminally ill man is planning to say her final farewell to her husband by shaving her head to raise money for a cancer charity.

Mick Maguire, 57, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in April, is helping wife Fiona, 60, to organise his funeral and hopes for a party to send him off.

The sci-fi fan, from Ormskirk, Lancashire plans to be buried in a red Star Trek top, as worn in the first series of the TV classic by characters who did not last to the end of their episode.

And he has chosen Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum to be played when he is cremated – after he was talked out of his first choice song, Disco Inferno by The Trammps.

There is no way on God's green earth my funeral is going to be a morbid experience

During his wake, Mrs Maguire will be filmed on a livestream when she takes part in Brave The Shave for Macmillan Cancer Support.

She said she came up with the idea after she saw an advert on television.

She told the PA news agency: “I asked Mick how he would feel if I shaved my head for Macmillan and he said: ‘I’d be made up’.

“Then I asked how he would feel if I did it at his wake and he said: ‘I think that would be fantastic’.”

Mr Maguire said the experience of planning his own funeral had been “bizarre” but he wanted to ensure his friends and family had something to celebrate.

He said: “There is no way on God’s green earth my funeral is going to be a morbid experience.

“It’s going to be a party, there are no two ways about it.

“I’ve left instructions with my will that at the end of the service I want everybody on their feet clapping and dancing.”

The computer games enthusiasts, who are both medically retired, married nine years ago after meeting by chance the year before and say every day of their decade together has been filled with laughter.

Money raised from Mrs Maguire’s head shave will go to Macmillan Cancer Support, who have helped her husband, and Queenscourt Hospice in Southport.

Her hair will go to the Little Princess Trust, which creates wigs for children and young people who lose theirs.

Mrs Maguire said: “Hair is not important, it will grow back

“I want to raise money to say thank you to those people who come out day in and day out and answer my calls whenever I need them.

“I want to raise awareness of the help that the charities need as well.”

Mr Maguire added: “We’re faced with the possibility of what can only be described as one of the worst situations to go through in a life experience, and if there’s something we can do that would change that to say here is a benefit that comes out of it, here is a positive, then we have won.

“It ceases to be a miserable, maudlin event and becomes something to celebrate.”

Nicole McIlveen, senior fundraising manager at Macmillan, said: “Mick and Fiona are clearly such a brave couple.

“Their positivity in the face of adversity is remarkable and we’re so grateful that Fiona has decided to Brave The Shave for Macmillan.”

To find out more about Brave The Shave go to bravetheshave.macmillan.org.uk.