A BRAVE mum from Greenock who is battling incurable skin cancer is fulfilling a dream by opening her own cafe selling food from her homeland.

Businesswoman Verena Durowoju and her husband Olu have opened up Oma Cooks in the Oak Mall, specialising in dishes from Austria.

Oma is a colloquial Austrian term for a grandparent, with the title of her premises a nod to her heritage.

It comes just over a year after Verena, who has two teenage children, was left devastated by her diagnosis.

Now she is juggling immunotherapy treatments with serving up delicious dishes, including tasty schnitzel, for locals.

Verena, 42, said: "This was something that I have always wanted to do. I want to bring my favourite Austrian food here to Greenock. My dad is a chef and when my family come here they are always surprised there is no where to get a schnitzel!

"I am feeling really good just now but I still have more treatment to get. I am responding really well to the treatment and the last scan was really positive. It is a massive change from when I was told it was going to be palliative care for me.

"But what has happened shows me life is short and you have to make the best of it. So we opened Oma Cooks because it is something I have always wanted to do."

Verena is originally from the Carinthia region of Austria and food was an important part of her life growing up.

A languages expert, she moved to the UK and met Olu, a sports coach originally from Nigeria, in Peterborough.

They moved to Greenock six years ago with their children Oyinkan, now 18, and Tomiwa, now 14.

In April 2022 Verena's health ordeal began when she had a sore elbow and felt in constant pain.

After a number of visits to the doctor she was sent to hospital for a scan before being diagnosed last October.

After a visit to the Beatson the couple learned last March that the cancer had spread, leaving only palliative care for Verena.

Since then they have been supported by the Macmillan service run by Your Voice, however Verena has responded well to treatment and her outlook is good.

The couple's new food outlet is based in the Bluebell Walk arcade within the Mall.

Olu said: "We have had a great response so far to our food. Verena has made Austrian dishes with some Nigerian flavour as well. She is coping so well with everything and we are enjoying having the business."