Jersey fundraisers hope to raise £40,000 through Cancer Research UK’s What a Difference a Day Makes, with cash going towards a research centre in Southampton.
- Cancer Research UK is calling on everyone across Great Britain to come together and unite in the fight against cancer.
- People are being urged to buy a unity band from one of the charitys shops or to donate £3 by texting UNITE to 70200.
- You can donate to the What a Difference a Day Makes campaign online at www.justgiving.com/Whatadifferenceadaymakesjersey2015
- Alternatively you can send donations to Robert Christensen at Jersey Committee for Cancer Research UK, Woodlands Court, Route des Cotils, Grouville, JE3 9AP.
The appeal, which runs throughout February, asks Islanders to donate a day’s income or, if they cannot afford that, an hour’s income to the cause.
This is the second year that the charity has run the appeal and last March almost £28,000 was raised in Jersey.
Over the next four weeks the JEP will feature exclusive interviews with four Islanders who have battled the disease.
Meanwhile, fundraisers hope that in total over the two years they will have raised £150,000 by March to go towards a project that funds the work of the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre in Southampton.
The centre will bring together experts in cancer biology and clinical researchers to drive the development of new therapies.
Robert Christensen, who received an MBE for his work with Cancer Research UK and is chair of Jersey’s fundraising group, said: ‘Those who have survived cancer know that every day with loved ones is very precious.
‘To see a son or daughter married, a grandchild born or even just to walk on a beautiful Jersey beach with a friend – one day can make all the difference.’
Shelley Davies, Cancer Research UK’s senior local fundraising manager in Jersey, said she hoped Islanders would donate to the campaign.
‘One way of helping is by donating all or part of a day’s salary,’ she said. ‘By donating today, they can help us beat cancer sooner.
‘Through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses, today two in four people survive cancer. Cancer Research UK’s ambition is to accelerate progress so that three in four people will survive cancer within the next 20 years.’
‘TEN years ago if I had been diagnosed with throat cancer I would have probably died,’ Ian Coles says, matter of factly. ‘But the advances Cancer Research has made in that time have probably saved my life.’
Although the father-of-two describes some parts of his treatment as ‘one hell of a struggle’ he says he counts himself lucky to be alive and passionately backs the charity’s What a Difference A Day Makes campaign so that even more lives can be saved.
Ian, from St Brelade, who has never smoked in his life, was diagnosed with throat cancer in May 2013 after a visit to his dentist for a filling highlighted a lump in his throat.
A couple of months beforehand he had felt minor discomfort when swallowing but did not think anything of it.
His dentist referred him to his doctor and Ian saw a specialist within days.
Further tests suggested it was a cyst, but during surgery to remove it two tumours were found a the back of Ian’s tongue. More tests confirmed it was cancer and the tumours were removed a week later.
He said: ‘I have never smoked and what happened to me can happen to anybody no matter what you have done in the past. Cancer is not a forgiving illness.’
Ian, a messenger with a law firm, had to travel to Southampton where he underwent six and a half weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment.
The 60-year-old, who is father to Darryl (35) and Nicola (32), said: ‘I’m a very optimistic person. I’ve never worried about things I can’t change. I think having a positive attitude was important when I was having my treatment.’
But he added that it was the support of his family, especially wife Elizabeth (58), that proved vital in getting him through his lowest points.
Ian said: ‘I thank God I have such a loving and caring wife because even being positive you still have down times and it is worse for your family than yourself.’
Ian stopped eating early in his treatment due to the pain.
He said: ‘It was one hell of a struggle but I thank God I pushed myself through the pain of swallowing as I was determined not to have a feeding tube.’
A side effect to his treatment was that Ian developed painful ulcers in his mouth and lost three stone in weight. Today his saliva glands have not yet returned to normal and he still struggles to eat certain foods, such as bread and meat.
Almost two years after his diagnosis doctors are pleased with Ian’s recovery, although he still undergoes check-ups every two months to monitor his progress.
And it is because of his first-hand experience of the the work carried out by Cancer Research UK’s doctors, nurses, and scientists in Southampton that Ian says he supports the charity’s campaign.
‘Without a shadow of a doubt I’m backing the campaign,’ he said. ‘Even if someone gives just a pound, that pound could help save someone’s life.
‘Without the research they’ve already done I wouldn’t be here now. I’ve known people who have had throat cancer who have died.
‘The advances they are making now are incredible. I believe that in the future there will be even better treatments so maybe people won’t have to have radiotherapy or chemotherapy.’
Who Are Cancer Research UK Jersey?
- Cancers are the main cause of death in Jersey, accounting for just under a third of all deaths in 2012.
- Latest figures show that the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Jersey are breast, prostate, colorectal, lung and malignant melanoma. This is no different to other similar populations.
- Jersey has significantly higher rates of skin cancers, lung and head and neck cancer than the England average. Smoking, excessive alcohol use and UV exposure are the major risk factors for these cancers.
- Lung cancer alone accounts for more than a fifth of all cancer deaths around 55 a year.
Cancer Research UK Jersey is the local fundraising committee of Cancer Research UK, the largest volunteer supported cancer research organisation in the world.
The charity has been operating int the Island for more than 50 years, since July 1953 when the then Bailiff of Jersey, Lord Coutanche, initiated the establishment of a Jersey committee.
Over that half century, the Jersey committee has helped to raise more than £6 million towards funding cancer research.
Jersey fundraisers are currently raising money to support research into the incidence of cancer and the means of treating cancer more effectively.
During 2014 and 2015 the committee have pledged to fundraise for the Cancer Research Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre in Southampton which is working to test new cancer drugs.
The Southampton centre is led by world-leading scientist Dr Anthony Williams who is trying to harness the power of the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. The committee members aim to raise £150,000 in order to fund the next stage of Dr Williams’ project.
THE Island branch of Cancer Research UK will be bringing back one of their most popular fundraisers, Relay For Life, this year.
Teams of between eight and 15 people, of all ages, levels of fitness and from all walks of life, are required for the 24-hour fundraiser, which will take place at the FB Fields on the weekend of Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July.
During the Relay itself – which is open to teams of friends, families and work colleagues – team members will take it in turns to walk around a track while everyone else enjoys a range of fun activities.
As Relay For Life is non-stop through the night, those team members not on the track can take turns to rest, eat, or sleep in their tents which are set up close by. As dusk falls, the atmosphere will quieten as the Candle of Hope ceremony begins – the most poignant part of the event, when specially-made Candle of Hope bags, decorated with messages in memory or in celebration of loved ones, are filled with sand and lit with candles around the track.
Richard Tribe, one of the organisers of the event, said: ‘Relay For Life is a great way to spend time with your friends, family and colleagues while raising money for a truly worthwhile cause. More than one in three people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lives. Taking part in Relay For Life is about being part of a community united in the belief that it can make a difference and help beat cancer. We have made so much progress in the fight against this devastating disease, but it’s not just technology or knowledge that we need to win – it’s funding.’ Sponsorship raised by participants in Jersey Relay For Life will fund the work of scientists, doctors and nurses at Southampton General Hospital where many Jersey people receive treatment.
You can register for the event online here or by emailing jerseyrelayforlife@gmail.com.
