Dawn Green is one of my fellow Cancer Research UK Campaigns Ambassadors. In 2008 she was diagnosed with Pseudomyxoma.
Pseudomyxoma Peritonei is a very rare type of cancer that usually begins in your appendix as a small growth, called a polyp. Or, more rarely, it can start in other parts of the bowel, the ovary or bladder. This polyp eventually spreads through the wall of your appendix and spreads cancerous cells to the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum). These cancerous cells produce mucus, which collects in the abdomen as a jelly like fluid called mucin.
Dawn was given just three months to live and the cancer was so rare that her doctors didn’t know much about it at all. Whilst fighting the disease Dawn noticed a distinct lack of emotional support for people fighting this form of cancer. Pseudomyxoma Peritonei is a very rare type of cancer that usually begins in your appendix as a small growth, called a polyp. Or, more rarely, it can start in other parts of the bowel, the ovary or bladder. This polyp eventually spreads through the wall of your appendix and spreads cancerous cells to the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum). These cancerous cells produce mucus, which collects in the abdomen as a jelly like fluid called mucin.
Dawn decided to set up a charity to help others in her situation. Pseudomyxoma Survivor aims to provide emotional support for anyone dealing with this type of cancer and to prevent anyone feeling alone or isolated during their fight against the disease.
Dawn has high hopes for the charity and in 2012 she plans to achieve further recognition and form collaboration with Cancer Research UK to ensure anyone who needs support knows where to find her.
The charity will be fundraising and raising the profile of PMP whilst also funding research into the disease. Dawn would love to travel the world speaking as a patient advocate for all survivors, which she hopes will result in increased awareness and higher survival rates worldwide.
If you would like to know more about this type of Cancer or Dawn’s charity then please check out her website, I will post the link below. If you are interested in getting involved then I’m sure she’d be happy to hear from you!
A cancer diagnosis is terrifying, especially when it’s a very rare cancer such as this one. More needs to be done to understand these rarer types of the disease so cure’s can be found and people can be saved. I’m so glad to know Dawn is using her experience to help others in her situaition and I fully support her chairty 100% and wish her the best of luck for 2012!
xxx
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