KAY Wilson knows the pain of cancer too well.

Having lost her father, father-in-law and more recently husband Andy to the disease, she remains as committed as ever to the fight to stop cancer.

For more than 26 years Mrs Wilson has been a member of the Warwick branch of the Cancer Council, serving as the group's president for many of those.

Mrs Wilson and her husband both lost their fathers to cancer in the 1970s, Andy then lost his mother in 1991 and in 1992, they were urged to join the organisation by Kay's mother, who was involved at the time.

The couple went to their first meeting in 1992, and Mrs Wilson has been going ever since.

Born in Warwick, in the long-since demolished Welford Hospital at the top of Palmerin St, Mrs Wilson grew up on the family farm at Pratten.

"They were some of the best days of my life,” she said.

"The freedom, the fresh air, they were different times, we had nothing to worry about as kids.”

Meeting Andy at a dance in St Mary's Hall in 1961, the pair were married in 1963.

The newlyweds set up house in Warwick and had three sons; Roley, Leon and Brett.

"Andy got a job at Warwick Daily News and ended up staying there for 49 years,” Mrs Wilson said.

"He was a hand and machine compositor, but when newspapers went digital in 2004, there was no longer such a position and he was retrenched and he retired.

"I worked there as well as a stitcher and trimmer.

"Back in the days when the Daily News took up the whole building.”

Seven years into Andy's retirement, the couple got the news no one wants to hear.

Andy had lung cancer and with few options available, the diagnosis was deemed terminal.

"We were devastated,” Mrs Wilson said.

"We never thought it would happen to us.

"It started when Andy got pneumonia and it just never went away.”

Doctors found Mr Wilson had a rare cancer in both lungs, one his specialist hadn't seen in a patient in more than 10 years.

He began treatment with regular chemotherapy.

"It got to the point where he just said no,” Mrs Wilson said.

"He didn't want any more treatments, it was just making him sicker.

"It was a good thing. We got another 10 months together with a better quality of life.”

Mrs Wilson said her husband fought all the way to the end.

"He was still going to Cancer Council meetings with me, right up until a month before he passed.”

Andy Wilson died in March 2013.

Although she'd been heavily involved with the Cancer Council organisation for more than 10 years, it was at this time Mrs Wilson saw first-hand just what a difference the group could make when people needed help.

"They were absolutely tremendous,” she said.

"For me, utilising the service the Cancer Council offers was never part of the plan, but I'm grateful they were there when we needed them. As we've always said, we're one big happy family.”

Coming up this month, on Thursday, May 24, the Warwick branch of the Cancer Council will hold its most important annual fundraiser, The World's Biggest Morning Tea.

The event will be held at the branch headquarters, the Warwick Senior Citizens Centre in Albert St. All are invited to attend.

"The Cancer Council is much more than just a fundraising arm, though,” Mrs Wilson said.

"Much of the work we do is supporting local cancer sufferers and their families.

"A lot of people simply don't know where to go or what to do, that's what we are for.

"Helping with transport, accommodation, anything we can do to assist.”

The Cancer Council has accommodation now available in both Brisbane and Toowoomba for patients travelling in from outside of those areas.

"One of those most important things we provide people is a helpline, a call by a cancer sufferer or family to 131120 will be answered by trained personnel and has been such a difference to so many people,” she said.

Mrs Wilson said everyone handled a cancer diagnosis differently.

"It's important the support is there to help, should they need it,” she said.

"We don't give advice, we more point people in the right direction and help with finding certain services and lending a kind ear in support.

"Support, love and friendship.”