WHO WE'RE HELPING
350,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed each year.
1 in 2 people will get cancer in their lifetime.
Like many others, cancer has played a part in all of our lives, and in particular for our teammate Kat, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2019. This is her story:
“Having just returned from the adventure of a lifetime, sailing across the Pacific Ocean and with future plans already in the making, receiving the diagnosis of cervical cancer came as a huge blow to me. Hearing the words “I’m sorry, it’s cancer” will happen to 1 in 2 people during their lifetime but is something I was not prepared for and in that moment, I knew my life had been changed forever.
After the diagnosis, the rollercoaster of emotions begins: you’re mad, you’re sad, you cry, you’re angry, you’re shocked, you’re tired - and then it starts over again. I am incredibly fortunate to have a great support network of friends and family who were there for me from day one. I also had an outstanding team of consultants and nurses who helped me through diagnosis, surgeries and treatment. Despite being in remission for a while, cancer has reared its head once more and in June this year, I found out the cancer had come back and I am now undergoing chemotherapy in a bid to rid my body of this disease.
The work that Cancer Research UK, Macmillan and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity do to help cancer patients is vital. Whether it is through research to improve treatments, supporting individuals and families through difficult times, or providing ‘chemo backpacks’ to give those undergoing chemotherapy a feeling of independence and control over their lives. I have experienced first-hand how essential their work is, and I am so pleased that team EXTRAOARDINARY will be able to help raise money for these amazing charities."
OUR CHARITIES
Cancer Research UK is dedicated to saving lives through research. Their mission is to prevent, control and cure cancer through ground-breaking research and in the last 40 years their work has helped double survival rates. But there is more work to be done. The only charity fighting over 200 types of cancer, they rely on every pound donated to help get all of us closer to beating cancer.
By raising funds for Cancer Research UK, this would enable scientists to continue to explore brave new ways to fight the disease and develop radical treatments, meaning more people diagnosed with cancer can become long-term survivors.
Macmillan is here to help people living with cancer get on with their lives no matter how cancer affects them. They can give the practical, emotional and genuinely personal support needed to help people hold on to who they are and what’s important to them.
Macmillan can be there during treatment, help with work and money worries and give the time needed to talk about feelings or whatever’s troubling. Whether it’s everyday things like the cost to park at hospital during treatment or big stuff like explaining cancer to children, Macmillan will do all they can to support.
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity raises money to support The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust so it can continue to support ground-breaking research and make a difference to the lives of its patients and cancer patients across the world. The Royal Marsden sees more than 55,000 patients at its two hospitals in Chelsea and Sutton. The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity ensures that nurses, doctors and research teams can provide the very best care and develop life-saving treatments which are used here in the UK and around the world.
From funding state-of-the-art equipment and ground-breaking research, to creating the best patient environments, they never stop looking for ways to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.
