Emmerdale's Leah Bracknell says she refuses to treat this Christmas as her last as she reveals how telling her daughters about terminal cancer fight 'was most difficult thing I've ever done'
- Former Emmerdale star, 53, was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2016
- Conventional medicine stopped working and Leah is using alternative therapies
- The actress even feared she would die within a year of her terminal diagnosis
- But she has vowed to keep things 'exactly the same' this Christmas
Emmerdale's Leah Bracknell has said she refuses to treat this Christmas as her last after she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
The 53-year-old actress is having a low-key festive period with her husband Jez Hughes and two daughters, vowing to keep things 'exactly the same' as they always have been.
Leah - who plays Zoe Tate on hit soap Emmerdale - was diagnosed with the illness in October 2016 and feared she would die within a year of receiving news.
Then in August this year, she was told the NHS treatment had stopped working leaving her reliant on on alternative treatments such as plant-based healing oils and sessions in an infrared sauna.
The 53-year-old actress is having a low-key festive period with her husband Jez Hughes, pictured right
The star is a devoted yoga practitioner and has tried alternative treatments such as healing
In a blog post last month to mark a year since her diagnosis, Leah insisted she sees cancer as a teacher she can learn from rather than an enemy
Despite the setbacks, Leah is remaining incredibly positive and insists she sees cancer as a teacher she can learn positive lessons from rather than an enemy.
She told The Mirror: 'We haven't arranged anything, it will all be very last minute,' she says. 'So, in other words, it will be exactly the same as it always is.
'I could think, 'We are going to have the biggest Christmas tree, people will be able to see it in Cornwall, and we'll have reindeer on the roof'.
'But that would be like saying, this might be my last Christmas, get through it and I'll have done that. I don't think like that.'
Leah previously raised £60,000 for immunotherapy treatment, which is not available on the NHS.
The treatment 'reprogrammes' the body's defence system to attack cancerous cells. Trials show it could stop cancer from spreading and reduce tumour size.
The experimental treatment, which she received in Germany, isn't a permanent medication as it stops working when the cancer starts to resist it.
She also had Mexican shamans by her hospital bed in an attempt to heal her. Shamanic healers believe that illness has a spiritual cause and results in a loss of energy or power.
Leah has been practicing yoga for 15 years and also teaches it. She cites it as a way to keep her calm and positive in the face of her devastating diagnosis.
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