A DUNFERMLINE cancer sufferer is to lose her locks to help Pittencrieff Park's peacocks.

Vivian Neil, 43, said the Glen's special residents had kept her going through her illness and lockdown and was keen to give something back.

She is facing the prospect of losing her hair with her next treatment so decided to turn it into a positive experience by doing a charity head-shave next month.

More than £800 has been raised already and Vivian, who is one of the 20-plus volunteers who help look after the peacocks, said she had been "blown away" by the response.

"I just wanted to give a little bit of money in to the peacock fund because the last year has been pretty hard on us because we are a self-funded group," she said.

"I was diagnosed on 14th February, 2018. It is a rare blood cancer that affects the skin called Mycosis Fungoides or Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma. It is incurable so I can't go into remission but as long as I get monitored and managed and not develop any tumours, I can live for a good few years yet.

"Unfortunately, with the COVID, I had not been seen for a year and a half and it has got worse."

Because of the deterioration, Vivian was advised she will need to go to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle to get total skin electron beam radiotherapy, however, she will be put firstly on an experimental drug, methotrexate, to see if this can provide the necessary improvement.

Either treatment could lead to mum-of-two Vivian losing her hair so she has decided to get it done before this happens and help her beloved peacocks.

"I love my naturally-curly hair so it is a big step but I am willing to do it for the peacocks," she said.

"The reason I got involved with the peacocks was when I was in lockdown, I was going for a walk in the Glen and bumped into Malcolm and Andrew all the time and they are absolutely amazing and I went to see if they needed volunteers as I can't work at the moment.

"They have given me so much. After I had my diagnosis, I was in a bit of a bad place and they have helped me. They have given me a purpose.

"I get up in the morning and look forward to going to see them. They have helped me. They are just amazing little birds."

Vivian's head-shave will be carried out by her friend, Julie Donaldson, from Rosyth's Caraig Hairdressers, on April 18.

Anyone wanting to donate can do so by visiting www.gofund.me/6cc609df.

The peacock volunteers are also hoping young West Fifers will help them with a Silver Smartie Challenge fundraiser where they are asked to fill tubes with 20 pences and hand them in to them at their Pittencrieff Park base.