FUNDRAISING FOR A CURE
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Clare Norman was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in 2023. After multiple surgeries and treatment, we are pleased to report that Clare is now cancer-free and has since chosen to organise a pigeon auction to raise money for PLANETS Cancer Charity.
Driven by her own experiences and the challenges she’s faced, Clare is determined to make a difference in the lives of others battling similar diagnoses. Through her fundraising efforts, she hopes to raise both awareness and vital funds for PLANETS.
“My work involves racing pigeons where I am involved with 3 racing pigeon organisations. From April to September, this is my busiest time, so I only manage to have a break when the racing season is over.
At the end of September 2023, I had just returned from a week’s holiday in Guernsey. I was feeling very fit and well apart from I thought I had a water infection. I contacted my GP after a couple of weeks as I didn’t see any improvement and she prescribed me some antibiotics. After a couple of days of taking them, I started to itch, so I contacted my GP again and she thought I may be allergic to the antibiotics, she asked me to take a water specimen to the Doctor. Within a couple of hours, the Doctor telephoned
me to ask if I looked yellow. I asked my husband and he said yes you do look a bit yellow. My GP said I may have jaundice and to book in for a blood test as soon as possible. As it was a Friday I couldn’t get an appointment until Monday. After the blood test, I got a phone call from my GP to say I had jaundice and my bilirubin levels were quite high and to go the the SDEC department at Southampton General Hospital the following morning for an Ultrasound.
After my ultrasound, I returned to the SDEC department where I had a visit from Claire Townley the HPB Clinical Nurse who explained what the possibilities could be and what the next steps were. Claire was amazing and tried to put my mind at rest.
I had a CT scan within a couple of days and then the following week I had my appointment to see Mr Pike the Consultant. He informed me that indeed I did have Pancreatic cancer and that I had a small tumour at the bottom of my bile ducts where it joins the Pancreas which was causing the jaundice. He explained what my options were and I chose to have the Whipple, if I was going to have a fighting chance I don’t think I had any other choice.
Mr Pike arranged for me to have stents put in to release the bile which was causing the jaundice and to see him again a week later. I returned to see Mr Pike where he clarified with me that I wanted to have Whipple’s and what it entails. He also explained that after my surgery they usually give 6 doses of chemotherapy every two weeks as well. My next question was “How soon” and he replied how about next Thursday. So I was all set for 23rd November.
The operation went well and I was recovering nicely. In the middle of December 2023, I had a check-up with Mr Pike where he informed me that they had found a tiny tumour which they hadn’t seen previously so I chose to have the rest of my Pancreas and Spleen removed completely to make sure there was nothing else lurking there, this would result in me becoming a brittle diabetic. It was hard for my husband Martin to take this in but to me, it was just another hurdle to overcome. The plan going forward was to have the 6 doses of chemo which I started on 24th January 2024.
The chemotherapy went well with hardly any side effects, my weight was very stable considering. At the end of treatment 6, Dr Bateman my Oncologist decided to add an extra 3 treatments to take me to the middle of May. I must say how relieved I was to finish that final one.
My next operation was booked for 15th July 2024 and I am pleased to say it was a success and I am cancer free. I am now a type 3c diabetic and insulin dependent and I have to carb count everything I eat but I am adapting to my new lifestyle. I cannot thank enough Mr Pike, Claire Townley, Dr Bateman and the whole team at Southampton General Hospital who cared and looked after me and still do.
Like most of us who have experienced cancer, I had this overwhelming urge that I needed to give something back to show my gratitude to everyone who helped me and the only way I could think of was to raise money.
As previously mentioned my work for the last 17 years involves racing pigeons where I have about 1500 members over the three organisations covering the British Isles: the Central Southern Classic Flying Club, the British Barcelona Club and the British International Championship Club, so I decided to hold a pigeon auction. I spoke with Claire Townley as I wanted the money raised to go to a charity chosen by Claire and the HPB team and Claire came back with Planets.
Racing pigeon enthusiasts throughout the British Isles are renowned for supporting charities locally and nationally and my good friends and members I have had the pleasure of knowing for a long time did not let me down. They have been supporting me the whole of the last year in any way they could. There was no hesitation when I asked them to donate a pigeon for my auction and after managing to find 33 top-quality racing pigeons the online pigeon auction was booked. The auction ran for 10 days and with other cash donations received together, the total raised was an astonishing £11,000. I was totally overwhelmed by everyone’s kind
generosity.
READ ABOUT HOW FUNDS ARE USED
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PLANETS Funds New Wellbeing Room for Liver Ward at UHS
PLANETS funds new wellbeing room for liver patients at University Hospital Southampton A new wellbeing room funded by PLANETS Cancer Charity has been opened for patients with liver diseases at University Hospital Southampton. The facility, located on the gastroenterology and hepatology ward, provides a quiet space for patients and a place for private conversations which […]
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PLANETS funds novel 3D printed livers to aid complex surgery
Surgeons in Southampton are the first in the UK to begin using 3D printed models of patients’ livers to help them perform a complex cancer operation. Converting the data available from CT and MRI scans of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma – a type of bile duct cancer – into 3D models will enable better planning […]
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PLANETS Charity Welcome Coach Alison Bailey to their Support Team
Here at PLANETS we understand how daunting a cancer diagnosis can be. We know firsthand the transformative power of support throughout the cancer journey and have experienced ourselves the highs and lows, the triumphs and setbacks and the profound impact they can have on your life. We are very happy to be welcoming Alison Bailey, […]
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PLANETS completes £1 million fundraising campaign to purchase pioneering radiotherapy machine
PLANETS has thanked its supporters after completing a £1 million fundraising campaign and making the final payment for a pioneering radiotherapy machine. PLANETS Cancer Charity has been fundraising for the past six years to fully purchase Mobetron, a revolutionary mobile device which delivers radiotherapy during surgery – known as intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT). When the charity […]
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PLANETS Receive £10,000 Grant from The Hospital Saturday Fund
Thank you to John Greenwood, Trustee of the The Hospital Saturday Fund, for visiting us on Monday and bringing this incredible grant of £10,000 to support our IORT (Intra Operative Radiotherapy) machine. This will enable us to continue delivering this lifesaving treatment at University Hospital Southampton – the only centre in the UK currently offering […]
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PLANETS Fund ‘New View’ Psychotherapy Course for NET Patients
PLANETS have funded a psychotherapy programme, after a successful pilot course, to help NET patients see their diagnosis in a ‘new view’. We all know that different people deal with their neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis very differently. Initially there are lots of scary tests and Doctor appointments. Then there are lots of talk about […]
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Head and Neck Cancer Patient Treated with IORT in UK First
A woman from Salisbury has become the first patient in the UK with head and neck cancer to receive radiotherapy in the operating theatre during surgery to remove a recurrent tumour. Jayne Garrett, 53, underwent major surgery at University Hospital Southampton on 25 April after suffering a recurrence of her cancer following conventional treatment […]
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PLANETS Host the 1st National IORT Symposium
It was an honour to present the fantastic work and great initial results to medics from all over the country at our 1st National IORT (intra-operative radiotherapy) Symposium on Friday June 21st at University Hospital Southampton. After a lot of hard work and fundraising in order to bring IORT to the UK for the […]
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PLANETS Cancer Charity and the Robert White Trust, Fund a new regional NET Cancer Dietitian
A dietitian funded by PLANETS Cancer Charity and the Robert White Trust Fund is due to start work to develop and provide a comprehensive dietetic service to patients diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Cancer (NETs). Ruth Lee will be based at the Dorset NET service, which is part of the Wessex European Neuroendocrine tumour society centre […]
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Southampton Secure £200k from The Robert White Trust for NETs Research
PLANETS are excited to share the news that University Hospital Southampton have secured £200,000 funding from the Robert White Trust for a research project that aims to gain a better understanding of NET biology which may lead to a greater range of treatment options for patients with this rare disease. Robert White was a former […]
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Bowel cancer patient becomes first in UK to be treated with IORT
We are thrilled and proud to update our supporters that a Southampton bowel cancer patient has become the first in the UK to receive radiotherapy during surgery using the IORT machine that PLANETS has funded. he 58-year-old male, who completed a combination of conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy in August, underwent major surgery at Southampton […]
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IORT Launch is a Success!
SOUTHAMPTON CLINICIANS PIONEER USE OF REVOLUTIONARY CANCER DEVICE PLANETS founders Neil Pearce and Brian Stedman, together with fund manager Layla Stephen successfully launched our long awaited IORT machine last night. The Mobetron is the first portable system able to administer the treatment in this way – known as intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) – and will […]
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IORT Arrives at Southampton!
PLANETS are thrilled to announce that the eagle (finally) has landed! 2 tons of intra-operative radio-therapy machine (IORT) arrived from the USA this week – currently undergoing acceptance testing. This is the UK’s first ever mobile electron beam radiotherapy machine for treating cancers during surgery. Thanks to everyone who has supported our fundraising which has […]
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Southampton Aiding Research into Earlier Diagnosis for Pancreatic Cancer
You may have notice that Southampton was mentioned in recent media stories regarding The National Tumour Bank that is carrying out important pancreatic cancer research? Colin Johnson, Professor of Surgical Sciences at University of Southampton, has this to say about the project: ‘The National Tissue Bank is a major development in pancreatic cancer research. Several […]
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Sainsbury’s Hedge End Donate Digital Radios
A big thank you to Sainsbury’s Hedge End for donating two digital radios to PLANETS to be used in the lead lined Gamma Scanner Rooms at Southampton General. Pictured presenting the radios to staff in the scanner rooms are PLANETS Fund Manager, Layla Stephen, and Dr Brian Stedman.
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PLANETS to Fund Pancreatic Cancer Research at Southampton
PLANETS Charitable Fund are excited to have committed to provide a grant over a two year period for a pancreatic research project: ́The role of Eps8 in αvβ6-dependent functions in pancreatic cancer invasion’ to be undertaken by Dr Jo Tod. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC) has one of the worst outcomes of any cancer; only 3.7% of patients […]
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First Patient Receives PRRT at Southampton thanks to PLANETS
[social_button button=”facebook” flayout=”standard ” fwidth=”450″ faction=”like” fcolorsheme=”light”] UHS magazine Connect featured a fantastic article about NET patient Maureen McKenzie who, in July 2013, became the first Southampton patient to receive PRRT (peptide receptor radionuclide therapy). The equipment for this treatment was jointly funded by UHS and PLANETS showing just how important and valuable the […]
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Improving Patient Services Across the Region
[social_button button=”facebook” flayout=”standard ” fwidth=”450″ faction=”like” fcolorsheme=”light”] Pancreatic cancer affects over 8000 patients each year in the uk and remains the fifth biggest cancer killer in the UK, despite this its has been underfunded for many years and currently receives just 1% of total cancer research funding in the UK. NETs are a rare form […]
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