CANNON HALL FARM: FARMER RUTH BURGESS SPEAKS OUT AS HUSBAND DAVE BATTLES STAGE 4 CANCER

“WE’VE GOT A BIGGER CHALLENGE GOING FORWARD, BUT WE’LL CARRY ON”

Farmer Ruth Burgess, a familiar face to followers of Cannon Hall Farm, has opened up about the heartbreaking period her family is facing as her husband, Dave, undergoes treatment for stage 4 terminal cancer.

Ruth became emotional as she thanked members of the Cannon Hall Farm community for the overwhelming support they have given her family since Dave’s diagnosis.

In an emotional video shared with supporters, Ruth described the response as “very humbling”, expressing her gratitude to everyone who had sent messages, donated money or simply taken the time to show that they cared.

But despite the devastating circumstances, Ruth made it clear that her family is determined to keep going.

“We’ve got a bigger challenge going forward, but we’ll carry on,” she said.

Her words have resonated with the many people who have followed Ruth and her family through Cannon Hall Farm’s social-media channels and television appearances.

A DEVASTATING DIAGNOSIS

According to the family’s fundraising appeal, Dave was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer and is currently undergoing intensive treatment.

The appeal says his treatment includes daily chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Ruth and Dave have two sons, and the family is now facing an uncertain future while trying to balance medical treatment with spending time together.

The fundraiser was established to help ease some of the pressures surrounding the family’s situation.

Rather than being tied to a particular medical bill, the money is intended to give Ruth and her family greater freedom to use the support in whatever way helps them most during the difficult months ahead.

The organisers said their hope was to allow the family to concentrate on what matters most: being together, spending precious time as a family and making memories.

A COMMUNITY RALLIES AROUND FARMER RUTH

For years, Ruth has been a familiar presence to people who follow Cannon Hall Farm.

Many know her through videos and social-media posts showing life on the farm, including the daily work involved in caring for animals.

The fundraising appeal describes Ruth as a “very special part of the Cannon Hall Farm family”, saying that supporters may have met her at the farm, watched her online or simply come to know her through the family’s public presence.

Now, that same community has turned its attention toward Ruth.

Messages of love and encouragement have poured in, while hundreds of people have contributed to the fundraising campaign.

The response has demonstrated how strongly audiences can connect with the people behind the farm’s familiar online and television presence.

MORE THAN £19,000 RAISED

The fundraising campaign was launched on July 10, 2026, by Jacqui Tymon on behalf of Maryann Bestford.

It has a target of £24,000.

The latest available figures show that approximately £19,843 has been raised from 1,021 donations, putting the campaign more than 80 percent of the way toward its target.

The organisers have stressed that people should only donate what they can afford.

They have also said that every donation, share and message of support matters to the family.

The money is intended to help Ruth and her family deal with some of the additional pressures created by Dave’s illness and treatment.

RUTH THANKS THE CHRISTIE’S TEAM

During her emotional message to supporters, Ruth also expressed gratitude to the medical professionals caring for Dave.

She specifically thanked members of The Christie team in Manchester, a specialist cancer centre.

Rather than going into extensive detail about Dave’s medical condition, Ruth has largely used her public updates to thank people for their kindness and acknowledge the support surrounding her family.

That has allowed her to maintain some privacy while still keeping the community that has supported her informed about the difficult period they are going through.

“IT’S BEEN VERY HUMBLING”

The scale of the response appears to have surprised Ruth herself.

Speaking about the messages and donations, she said:

“It’s been very humbling.”

For someone accustomed to sharing the everyday highs and lows of farm life with an audience, the situation has placed Ruth in a very different kind of spotlight.

Instead of talking about animals, farming or life at Cannon Hall Farm, she has been forced to speak about illness, uncertainty and the impact of cancer on her family.

Yet her message has remained focused on gratitude.

She has thanked supporters for standing behind her, Dave and their two sons at a time when the family is facing one of the hardest periods of their lives.

A FAMILY TRYING TO MAKE MEMORIES

The fundraising appeal makes clear that the family’s priorities have shifted.

The organisers say the goal is to give Ruth and Dave greater freedom to focus on their family rather than worrying about every additional pressure that may arise during treatment.

They hope the support will help the family spend precious time together and create memories during an uncertain period.

For Ruth, that means continuing to support Dave while also caring for their two sons.

For the wider Cannon Hall Farm community, it means trying to support a woman who has spent years bringing moments of joy to others.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND CANNON HALL FARM

Cannon Hall Farm is a well-known family attraction in South Yorkshire and has developed a large following through its television appearances and social-media presence.

The farm’s farmers have become familiar faces to viewers through programmes such as Springtime on the Farm.

Behind the cameras, however, farming remains a demanding family business.

The people who appear in cheerful videos and entertaining farm updates also face the same personal challenges as anyone else.

Dave’s diagnosis has brought that reality into sharp focus.

For followers who have watched Ruth working with animals and sharing aspects of farm life, the news has been particularly difficult.

THE FARM COMMUNITY HAS STOOD BEHIND HER

The response to the family’s fundraising campaign has been substantial.

More than 1,000 people have contributed, with the total approaching the £24,000 target.

Some donors may have met Ruth personally.

Others may know her only from social media or television.

But the messages have created a common thread: people who have followed Cannon Hall Farm want Ruth and her family to know that they are thinking of them.

The fundraiser itself says the family is being supported by relatives, friends, colleagues and the wider Cannon Hall Farm community.

That support has continued as Dave undergoes intensive treatment.

AN UNCERTAIN ROAD AHEAD

The family has not publicly released extensive details about Dave’s prognosis beyond describing his illness as stage 4 terminal cancer.

The focus remains on his treatment and on supporting the family through the months ahead.

For Ruth, there are no easy words for what lies ahead.

She has acknowledged that the family faces “a bigger challenge”, but her message has also contained determination.

“We’ll carry on,” she said.

Those four words have become a simple description of the family’s position.

They cannot control what the future will bring.

But they can continue supporting one another, accepting help from their community and making the most of the time they have together.

“WE’LL CARRY ON”

For years, Cannon Hall Farm has invited the public into its world through animals, farming and family life.

Now, thousands of those followers are watching a