Happy Birthday Yiayia Despina!

It's my Yiayia Despina's birthday today. She doesn't want to celebrate but I wanted to publicly wish her a Happy Birthday. She is a brave lady. No grandmother should have to bury their grandson. She looks after me very well and I'm very proud of her for coping so well after losing Georgie.


Happy Birthday Yiayia. Love you xxxx


P.S I would also like to mention that it was my Auntie Eleni's birthday at the weekend. She would have been 43 if she was still here. I hope she had a lovely little party wherever she is now. Miss you everyday




xxxx

David Collins - Cancer Campaigns Ambassador and a Real Inspiration

I've mentioned my fellow CRUK Ambassadors several times in this blog. I'm getting to know them slowly, and as time goes on I find them more and more inspirational. However a year ago I didn't know anything about them. It wasn't until a fellow ambassador created a facebook group for us all that we started to bond, share ideas and support each other. 


David Collins is a husband, father and grandfather. He was bought up in a small corner shop and is a one time rugby player. He is dyslexic but definitely not stupid. In fact David is one of the most creative and intelligent people I have the pleasure of knowing. He provides so much support and advice for us ambassadors that I really wanted to showcase him here and allow people to read about how inspirational he is.


David tells me he gets bored easily so he has changed jobs often. Since 1970 he has been a police officer, a youth sports coach, Driving instructor, wedding photographer, security manager and a karaoke disco roadie to name just a few.

David says: "I consider myself to be extremely lucky to have lived a life which has allowed me to: see at first hand both the evil and the good in people. Watch people die, watch babies be born, watch people people sink to the depths of despair and see people crawl out of the gutter and soar like an eagle.

I would like to be a Councillor/MP before I die. I don't support the right or left, just the right or wrong."

Why is David an Ambassador?

"Like most people, I have lost friends and family to cancer but it is more then that. I believe we can all make a difference in this world. My philosophy is 'if you can't do everything, do something'

I believe in the 'starfish story' but I also know from experience that even the most insignificant act can have an effect on people.

In the film "It's A Wonderful Life", Clarence the angel shows George Bailey how the things he did in life affect the people around him. Things that meant so much to other and he wasn't aware of.

My "Clarence" appeared in the form of my daughter who a  few years ago  asked if I knew a lad she had been talking to in a night club. She said he wanted her to tell me that he was now married with two children and had his own business. He told her to tell me he would always be grateful to me for what I did when he was sixteen.  I had absolutely no idea who he was or what I had done.  It was only after racking my brains that I remembered. He had been a member of a school rugby team I had been coaching. One day I had gone to the Cells at the Police station to find he had been arrested for shoplifting. His Mother and Father had divorced and he had been placed in a local Children's home and got into a bad crowd. I arranged for him to join the local Rugby club and picked him up from the children's home a couple of times til he got to know his new team mates. I never saw the lad again and had not given the incident another thought until my  daughter mentioned it. That insignificant act on my part had a profound effect on the lad. And I have to tell you I feel pretty good about it. The only difference between me and everyone else who helps people out occasionally, is that I became aware of the end result.

There is a theory that says if a Butterfly flaps it's wings in the Amazon It can start a chain of events that cause a hurricane in the Atlantic . So why do I Volunteer as an Ambassador? It's simple really, it gives me a platform to speak to the decision makers in this world. But it also allows me to find Butterflies like you, and Dawn and the other Ambassadors, because I know If I blown on your wings it will encourage you to fly, and the more butterflies I can blow on the bigger the wind of change will be."

David's Advice to Campaigners

"When discussing an issue with someone who opposes you, don't worry about what they think of you. It's the people listening in silence to the conversation or debate that matter."

I wanted to feature David on this blog to inspire people. I almost cried when reading the bio he sent me. I really do think he is an amazing man with an amazing philosophy. I realised that I also want to make my mark on this world. Leave it a better place. I want someone to come up to my future children and tell them their mum changed their life. Having got to know David, I also would like to be a thorough as he is (no one does as much research as David) and I would also like to be as friendly and kind. He supports every single ambassador and has time for us all. He is almost like our unspoken leader.

If you are a campaigner or are thinking of becoming one then I hope this interview has left you inspired. I hope it has given you the courage to work hard to make a difference.

If you are a cancer sufferer or a loved one supporting someone through their battle then I want you to know that there are people like David fighting your corner with all their might. They will help you, they will comfort you and they will fight like hell for you.

xxx

To read about the Starfish Story please click here http://www.ordinarypeoplechangetheworld.com/articles/the-starfish-story.aspx 

Follow David on Twitter @camtia

Apologies Apologies

Happy Friday Everyone!


I haven't managed to write a blog post for a while and I wanted to apologise! I have just moved house AND started a new job so things are pretty hectic!! I will be back to normal from next week!


I have some really interesting posts coming up; I'm showcasing various charities, fundraisers etc.... and my lovely fellow CRUK ambassadors. 


Take care, enjoy the weekend and I will be back down to blog business next week!


Lots of love


xxx

Volunteers Wanted!

Happy Friday Everyone!!

One of my biggest projects this year requires a lot of people getting involved! So if you fancy spending a day or two raising money for a fabulous charity please do comment on this post or get in contact with me!

I will explain why when all the details are in place! But for now, no matter where you live, if you would like to do a good deed and raise some money - let me know!!

Pen xxx

Katy Bishop - Petition To Publish Signs of Childhood Eye Cancer (Retinoblastoma)

Katy Bishop has a little boy named Owen. Owen has Retinoblastoma. He was originally perscribed glasses and Katy would like to prevent this happening to others. She needs people to sign her petition.

Retinoblastoma is a life-threatening eye cancer which develops in children from birth to around six years. The condition is often diagnosed late when the tumour/s have had time to grow extensively within the eye.

In the UK it is treatable but, often, more aggressive treatments are needed - in many cases the treatment used for these large tumours is to remove the whole eye (enucleation) sometimes with follow-up chemotherapy.

Children go on to endure invasive check-ups, initially under general anaesthetic, throughout childhood. Many children face the challenges of living with an artificial eye. The result of late diagnosis for many children is loss or partial loss of vision.

An early diagnosis would lead to a greater choice of treatment options for many children and more aggressive treatments may not be necessary.

The signs of retinoblastoma can be spotted by a parent. If a parent was aware of the significance of these signs they could seek medical help sooner, reducing the chance of the child losing an eye and therefore saving some sight.

There is currently no information provided by the NHS for parents, such as the Birth to Five book, NHS Direct online or the PCHR (red book), which alerts parents that there may be a serious problem with their child’s eyes.

There are a number of signs of retinoblastoma, amongst these are;
A white/yellow/orange reflex in the pupil/s, which may be noticed in artificial light or in flash photography.
A squint
A change to the colour of the iris in one eye.
A red and swollen eye with or without the presence of infection
An absence of ‘red eye’ in one eye in a photo.
Deterioration in vision.

Unlike other serious childhood illnesses, there may be no other obvious symptoms that the child has cancer. Only awareness of the signs will prompt the parent to seek help.

It is possible for a GP to do a simple, non invasive, red reflex test to identify abnormalities in the retina and make a referral if found. Equally a red reflex test can be used to rule out serious illness if no abnormality is present and concerned parents can be reassured.

We propose simple changes to NHS information for parents, which would also alert the parent to other serious eye conditions such as Nystagmus, Cataract and Coat’s Disease as well as retinoblastoma (childhood eye cancer) and give them the confidence to approach their GP with their concerns.

In a survey conducted by the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust in May 2011 with 1,001 parents of children under 6 years old, over 70% said they would like more information to be available. Now we need your support to help make this happen.

NHS publications are highly valued by parents, and, of those surveyed, 75% of parents said they would look for information about serious eye conditions in these documents.

If you would like to support Katy, please click on the link below and sign the petition! Remember to shre it with your friends!

Thank you xxx

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/publish-signs-of-childhood-eye-cancer-retinoblastoma.html

Jack Marshall Brain Tumour Fund

I follow Jack Marshall on Twitter. In 2009 he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He was four years old. It was diagnosed quite quickly and he had surgery to removed the tumour very promptly but seeds of the cancer had spread to his brain and spine. Jack was left unable to walk or talk.

Jack had a shunt fitted and was preparing to undergo Chemo when he became seriously ill. The cancer was spreading faster then anyone thought; covering his brain and growing into his brain stem within weeks of diagnosis. Jacks’ poor parents had to watch their little boy suffer through seizures and other disturbing side effects. Sometimes he didn’t even know who they were.

Somehow, this little warrior managed to regain consciousness after some high dose chemotherapy treatments. Somehow he managed to cope with horrific rounds of radiotherapy with his whole head in a protective mask and strapped face down to a bed. Somehow Jack managed to cope with the painful burns radiotherapy left him. Somehow he managed to cope with terrifying seizures and emergency ambulance trips. Somehow Jack managed to cope with not being able to walk. He endured so many operations, treatments and side effects without complaining or giving up. He was a warrior.

Jack passed away in October 2011. He was six years old. Reading Jack’s story leaves me feeling heartbroken for him and his loved ones. Such a loving, handsome, clever little boy stolen away at such an early age. It is absolute tragedy. I applaud his family for finding the strength to help others in this situation and urge you all to take a look at Jack’s Fund and donate what you can. 450 children are diagnosed with Brain Tumours every year in the UK. Jack Marshall was one of them. We need more research into this and we need to find out how to prevent them and how to cure them. Children like Jack deserve to live long, happy, healthy lives. It wasn’t to be for poor Jack, but his family are trying to make sure other children in his position get that chance. I think we should all show them our support and get behind Jack’s Fund.

RIP Jackamo xx

Follow Jack on Twitter @Jack_Marshall_

or visit his site http://www.jacksfund.co.uk/Homepage

Buppou - A Tribute

Today marks two years since my buppou died. It was a Sunday night and my dad called me to say he had passed away. My uncle Chris and I were on a flight the Cyprus first thing the next morning to go to his funeral. I miss him very much so I wanted to pay tribute to him.

I don't know what happens to us when we die but I like to think my buppou is sitting somewhere, reunited with my yiayia, Dada Sotiris and Auntie Eleni. I hope they are watching over the rest of us Christophe's. Hopefully they'll have come across Nouna Gina and Georgie at some point too.

My buppou was famous for being a bit cantankerous and I am reliably informed that my brother Louis is following in his footsteps so I'm glad that part of him lives on because I do actually miss it! He did really love all of his grandchildren and I hope he can see how well we are all doing and how much we all miss him. I hope he can see how bravely my dad and Uncle Chris have coped with losing their family. I'm sure he would be proud of us all.

My buppou was a very brave man. He lost everything during the war in Cyprus and he came to England and built a life for his family. He lost two children and the love of his life to cancer and somehow managed to carry on. He fought his own battle with cancer. So much happened to him but somehow he found the strength to get through it all with courage, bravery and a few grumpy comments.

So today I'll be raising my glass to my Buppou: gone but never ever forgotten. Much missed and much loved. Always.

xxxx

Make A Wish Foundation

I did my first ever charity event when I was in my first year of secondary school. Class 7E at Beaverwood School for Girls did a Guess the Chocolate competition to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation. As you can imagine, chocolate in an all girls school was hugely popular and we raised quite a decent amount for the charity. Hopefully it gave a child a chance to have their dreams come true.

Make A Wish is a charity which grants wishes to children suffering from life threatening illnesses. It was launches in 1986 and is based in Camberley, Surrey. The very first wish to be granted was for Anthony who wanted to go to Disneyworld in Florida.

The aim of the charity is to create amazing memories for these children and their families. To put smiles on their faces. To take the pain away for a while. To make them feel special. It’s a fantastic idea and a very worthy cause, these children suffer the worst pain imaginable and they really do deserve to have their wishes granted.

The wishes themselves fall into different catorgories:

• I wish to be….
• I wish to have/own….
• I wish to go/experience…..
• I wish to meet…..

Some children dream of going to places like Florida, others dream of meeting their favourite footballer or singer, and some just want to be a princess for a day! Make a Wish strive to make these wishes come true and distact the children from their medical treatment with some happy times.

If you know of a child who is aged between 3 and 17, is suffering from a life threatening condition and has a wish to make: please visit the Make a Wish website and find out how you can help make the wish become a reality

If you would like to donate money or some of your time to help Make a Wish then please take a look and how you can do so! Their website also has some of their amazing wish stories, which really are a heart warming read.

I think children suffering from horrific illnesses deserve to have their wishes come true and I take my hat off to this amazing charity for finding ways to make this happen for them. Take a look at their website and find out how you can help them!!

http://www.make-a-wish.org.uk/

xxxx

Award Winner and Other News

Happy Wednesday Everyone!


Back in December I mentioned that someone had nominated me for a Young Citizen's Award in my local area. Well yesterday I was told that I have in fact won the award! Thank you to the person that nominated me and thank you to everyone who has sent me such lovely messages of congratulations.


I feel a little guilty though, I never intended for my work to receive awards or anything like that. I think it's Georgie and people like him who deserve the awards not me. I hope wherever Georgie is, he knows that the award is for him and not me because it is him that is my inspiration and the force behind the work that I do. I do it all for him and to feel close to him.


Anyway hopefully the award will mean extra publicity for my campaigns and fundraising so I am keeping my fingers crossed!!!


In other news, I am meeting with my MP on Friday to introduce myself and my work. I'm hoping to get him to back out latest CRUK campaign and form a bond with him so I can meet with him in the future....here's hoping it goes well!

Thank you for your continued support of this site and my work, I shall be unveiling details of some exciting projects in the next week or two so watch this space!!!


Pen xxx

The George Pantziarka TP53 Trust

Most of you will know my beautiful cousin Georgie died on April 25th 2011. He is my inspiration and the reason I am so passionate about working so hard for various cancer charities. I miss him more everyday and my work allows me to feel close to him again.

Georgie suffered from Li Fraumeni Syndrome, which is a rare type of TP53 disorder. We didn't know Georgie was suffering from LFS until he was diagnosed with his third cancer, the one that killed him at just seventeen years old.

There aren't any organisations in the UK specifically devoted to TP53 disorders but our family has decided to change that by creating a trust in Georgie's memory. Georgie's parents and siblings feel more needs to be done to help people with LFS and other TP53 disorders. They would like to concentrate on the following points:

* Increase understanding of the condition among sufferers and their families

* Support individuals and families with the condition

* Increase awareness of the condition among doctors

* Increase the rate of TP53 testing

* Promote research into the condition

* Look into treatments

* Foster the feeling of community and end the isolation that currently exists amongst sufferers and their families

The trusts website has now gone live and will be providing a central forum for sufferers, their loved ones, doctors and researchers to make contact with each other.

If you suffer from LFS or any other TP53 disorder, place get in contact and see how the trust can help you, we really do want to hear from you and see how we can help.

If you don't have LFS or any other TP52 disorder but are inspired by Georgie and would like to help us then please do let me know :)

The site is www.tp53.co.uk

Thank you for supporting our family :)

xxxx

Miss London 2012 - Fundraising Superstars!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!


I've mentioned my lovely friend Fay Bacon (soon to be Hill!!) in my blog before and I need to mention her again!!!


Fay is the director of UK Model Folios and works really bloody hard! She is now also the sponsor and organiser of Miss London.


Miss London isn't as superfical as some people automatically think. The current Miss London, Rissikat Bade, isn't just a pretty face: she's also busy completing a law degree. She is also learning french and doing a course in Journalism.


The Miss London finalists will be working hard to raise money for several charities over the next few weeks: Help for Heroes, The Thai Childrens Trust, Cancer Research UK and Children with Cancer UK.


I'm going to post a link to their JustGiving page and ask that you all donate anything you can afford and help Fay make Miss London 2012 the biggest and best one yet!


Good luck Fay and all the Miss London contestants!!!


http://www.justgiving.com/teams/MissLondon2012
xxx

The Bugg Sisters - An Update

Happy Friday Everyone!


Some of you may have read a previous blog post about the amazing Bugg Sisters: Rochelle, Hannah and Olivia. They lost their father in 2000 to a brain tumour and are now nursing their mum through the same thing. I urged my readers to get behind the three beautiful Bugg's and show support for them at this horrific time.


The sisters got to enjoy christmas and new year with their beloved mummy and are so grateful for that. Yesterday, however, yet another huge bombshell arrived for them: Mrs Bugg's tumour has grown and the girls have to decide whether or not she should have chemo.


I've developed a bond with eldest sister Rochelle and her bravery and courage is astounding. She has taken on the role of head of the family and has nursed her mum whilst looking out for her younger sisters. I'm also the eldest in my family and I'm not at all sure I would be able to cope as brilliantly as Rochelle does in her situation. I take my hat of to her, she is one amazing girl.


Once again I will ask you all to get behind the Bugg sisters, take a look at the website (www.abuggslife.com) and show them some support. If you've ever been in the same situation as the girls or their mum, please let them know, you may be able to help them!


Mrs Bugg probably has around six weeks to live. I know from experience with Georgie that sometimes doctors get it wrong; Georgie lived just over two hundred days longer then his doctors told us he would. I'm hoping with all my heart that Mrs Bugg does the same and that these amazing girls get some more time with their beloved mummy.


I just want them to know that my support for them is unwavering and I will be at the end of the phone whenever they need me, I'm hoping to get the chance to visit them at some point too. I know the girls have so many people behind them and I know that their parents must be so incredibly proud of their beautiful, brave children. Keep going girls, you're doing a brilliant job of caring for your mum.


Thinking of you girls,


Pen xx

The Iron Coppers

My dad is a former policeman and my step dad works for the police so when I found out that a group of police officers were raising money for Cancer Research UK, I automatically knew I had to support them!

The Iron Coppers have formed a team which will be competing in a number of crazy events during 2012. They would like to do one event every month of this year. So far their plans include a 10K run titled “Brutal10” an eight mile run through Aldershot Army Camp in the middle of the night and several Triathlons.

As you can see, these incredible people will not be resting on their laurels, they will be pushing themselves to the limits, and this is in between shifts of protecting our streets! I think they really deserve to raise lots of money and have all of our support!

For more information on this incredible team of people, please visit their website www.ironcoppers.com or follow them on Twitter @Ironcoppers.

They are currently looking for sponsorship so if you are a company looking to support a worthwhile cause then please do get in touch with them!

xxx

Radiotherapy Campaign Update

So 2011 is now over and so is Cancer Research UK’s Year of Radiotherapy. One of my very first blog posts contained information about our huge radiotherapy campaign and I thought you all deserved an update!

Research showed that only around four in ten cancer survivors had received radiotherapy as part of their treatment plan. Fewer then one in ten people thought of radiotherapy as a modern, cutting edge treatment and over forty per cent of people were still terrified of the treatment.  Even doctors were unaware of just how far radiotherapy has progressed. Our “Voice for Radio” campaign aimed to change this and we managed to collect over 36,000 signatures which were then taken to Downing Street. The government were asked to put a stop to this and have an action plan to educate people on radiotherapy and get more patients receiving this life saving treatment.

The brilliant Cancer Research UK bloggers have compiled all the information about our campaign and what will happen in the future and I really think you should take a look, especially if you signed our petition.

It’s so exciting to see all our hard work coming good, I’m really proud of myself and everyone who worked so hard. Thank you if you signed the petition, you really will be saving lives in the near future!

Take a look at the CRUK report here: http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2011/07/29/100-years-radiotherapy/

xxx

Sarcoma UK – The bone and soft tissue cancer charity

As many readers of this blog will know, Georgie had cancer three times. It was his third cancer that eventually took him from us. At the age of fifteen he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma of the Mandible (jaw). I had never heard of Sarcoma before Georgie was diagnosed and now it has taken one of my favourite people.

Sarcoma’s are rare cancers that develop in the supporting tissues of the body, for example muscle, bone and nerves. They are some of the most common childhood cancers. About 55% of sarcoma’s affect the limbs and about 15% affect the head and neck, the remainder will be found in the abdominal area inside your body.

There are three main categories of Sarcoma: Soft tissue cancer, Primary bone cancer and Gastro-Intestinal Stromal tumours. There are also about seventy different sub types of sarcoma which fall into these three main categories. Osteosarcoma falls under the primary bone cancer category.

Sarcoma UK is the main UK charity dealing specifically with all types of sarcomas. In March 2011, The Sarcoma Trust and Sarcoma UK officially joined together to become known collectively as Sarcoma UK.

Sarcoma UK has one main aim: to get the best possible level of treatment and care for patients suffering from sarcoma. They achieve this through three different means:

·         They fund scientific and medical research into discovering what causes sarcomas and how to treat them

·         They deliver various types of support and information services which cover all aspects of sarcoma

·         They raise awareness of sarcoma with members of the public, healthcare professionals and policy makers.

The fact that sarcoma affects a lot of children is horrifying, especially when it could mean having limbs amputated. Georgie had to have his jaw replaced; such a horrific and painful experience for anyone, let alone a sixteen year old boy. However not many people are aware of this type of cancer, I wasn’t until it affected someone close to me.

Sarcoma UK has a small team of hard working staff who work alongside doctors, nurses, researchers and other cancer charities. It has a board of trustees, many of whom have had personal experience with sarcoma. It is a fantastic charity working hard to bring awareness to such a terrible form of cancer. It is so important to bring awareness to such a worthy cause and to get this charity as much publicity as possible. It provides much needed support and information to sarcoma patients and their families as well as much needed research into ways of preventing and curing the disease.

Sarcoma UK relies on voluntary donations as its sole means of funding their hugely important research projects into sarcoma. If you know of a way of fundraising for a charity then I really do urge you to bear Sarcoma UK in mind. Every little really does help in the battle against sarcoma cancers.

If you are interested in fundraising for Sarcoma UK or have any questions about sarcoma cancers, please do get in touch with the charity.

Visit their website www.sarcoma.org.uk

Like their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/uk.sarcoma

Follow them on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/Sarcoma_UK

xxx

 

My Cancer Research UK Advert

Cancer Research UK asked me to take part in their "12 Days of Christmas" Campaign. I spoke about being a Campaigns Ambassador and our very successful Radiotherapy Campaign. I'm no TV star but I think it came out OK! Enjoy :) xxx