Justice for Michael Mina x

I love my family very much, I think that's obvious to all that know me. But I also have close friends, whom I treat like family, and they mean the absolute world to me too. Almost 2 weeks ago someone I consider my aunt lost her nephew/godson in a horrific way. 

Michael Mina was 22 years old and was stabbed in the neck by a 17 year old who had more then 50 criminal offences to his name. The attack was savage and has left Michael's family suffering the agony of his loss and knowing it could have been prevented if this criminal had been in a youth detention centre. 

The Mina family are lovely lovely people. I've grown up with them and can honestly say you'd be hard pressed to find more decent and loving people. The fact that the church was absolutely packed during Michael's funeral is proof that he and his family are loved by many. 

Somehow Michael's family have found the strength within themselves to use their loss and their grief to try and ensure this tragedy doesn't happen to anyone else. Amongst other things they have a petition online to ask the Cyprus government to take action and put things in place for young criminals in this country. It's a hugely important campaign that needs your support. 

Please have click the link, read the information and sign the petition to support this amazing family on their quest for justice for Michael. http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/The_Cyprus_Government_President_of_Cyprus_Creation_of_adequate_juvenile_correctional_facilities/?tdPpKib

The Christofi family are fully behind you guys, so much love for you all xxx

CRUK Campaigns Ambassador Showcase - Phil Wilson

Another Ambassador showcase today, and one I have been wanting to do for a while! I first met Phil at a volunteers conference two years ago. He was friendly, interesting and very clearly passionate about CRUK and the subject of what we can do to beat cancer in general. Phil is one of life's "doers", always updating the rest of us on his antics, which include recently meeting the Prime Minister, and he is one of the very few people I know on very good first name terms with his MP. I hope you find Phil as inspiring as I do when reading this.


What Made You Decide to Volunteer for CRUK?
I had done other volunteering and events for a variety of charities, this included music events, a quiz or two and the Virgin London Marathon.
My partner, the lovely Sarah, had been having treatment for breast cancer  and that was my call to action.
Politically, activity started while I was still training for the London Marathon.
I had flagged up a charity bag fraud in Kent that, following further research, was found to be a national problem costing millions of pounds to genuine charities. After being passed around like a hot potato by Trading Standards, the Police and local licensing departments, I decided to pay a visit to my member of parliament. I am lucky to have a very active MP in the shape of Tracey Crouch. She was far from impressed when she heard about the run-around that I had experienced and she took the baton and ran with it. This culminated with an an adjournment debate in Westminster and a round table debate. I was asked to do radio and TV interviews on the back of these actions(one live on BBC1 lunchtime news!) Scary for most, but having a stammer sort of put the pressure on a tad!
This gave me the bug to help charities in a way that up until then I did not know existed.
I first joined Breakthrough Breast Cancer's CAN team. (Campaigns and Advocacy) I had success, again with the very active Tracey Crouch MP encouraging her to sign up to a couple of Breakthrough's campaigns.
The lovely Sarah started to work for CRUK and when I found out that they also kicked shins in Westminster, I applied to be an Ambassador. They must have been low on the ground because they took me on!!

What sort of things do you do for the charity?
It is surprising the number of people who think putting your hand in your pocket, though much needed, is the only way you can help charities. I have blown balloons up at events, banged in tent pegs, walked a Race for Life course as “The Last Man” making sure everyone has got round. On that particular event in Rochester, the last person was a lady in her late 70s with cancer, still doing her ”bit.”  I kept her company until the last 100 metres and let her walk to the finish with her granddaughter to get all of the applause from the crowd..... yes I cried! (I do a lot of that these days!!)
A couple of years back I was a cycle marshal for Shine. That was an amazing experience (though very tiring) We cycled up and down chosen parts of the route keeping an eye out for any help required or were sent by radio to various parts of the course to assist with extra busy spots keeping walkers safe.
I am an active Ambassador and the role pays me back in spades as I get to meet all kinds of lovely people.

What are your favourite aspects of volunteering for the charity?
This might sound selfish, but personal development. Although as a professional drummer I am confident behind a drum kit, I was shy in crowds and would never speak in public because of my stammer. A major part of my development has been due to my experience at CRUK. I turned “I can't speak in public!” into “What can I do to speak in public for CRUK?” The overall improvement to my voice is a very long story but I now speak as part of my job (presenting drum circles and rhythm events for education and business team building) I have joined the Professional Speaker Association and I have started writing a book about Presenting. None of this would happen without my involvement with CRUK and Breakthrough.
My MP invited me to a gathering of medical experts and charities to meet with David Cameron. When the table was opened for questions my hand was the first up. That would never have happened!
I meet such inspirational people, cleaver people, nice and funny people, plus guess what?? Never once have I met anyone complaining about anything. Not their illness, their job or anything. Perhaps that's a lesson we all need to look at!
I would strongly recommend anyone with any talent (even a talent they think they don't have) to have a go at volunteering. You will help change lives....maybe even your own!

If you're interested in working alongside someone as brilliant as Phil then please click on the link and apply to join our Ambo family!! http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/campaign-for-us

Thank you for allowing me to interview you Phil, I feel very privileged to work alongside you!

New Campaign - Cross Cancer Out

When it comes to my voluntary work there is nothing I love more then working as a team with my Ambo family. Our latest campaign has started and today I'm going to outline it here in the blog and hopefully get you guys involved in some way!

The UK is currently building up to the General Election which will take place in May 2015. We get to decide who will be representing the constituencies we live in and representing our views in Parliament as well as ultimately deciding who will lead our country for the next few years. If you're over the age of eighteen and registered to vote then you have a chance to make your voice heard and exercise your right to vote.

Real progress is being made in the fight against cancer and CRUK's political actions is helping to accelerate this progress. Cancer is a political issue as well as a emotional one and it is something that matters to all of us. Survival rates have doubled over the last forty years but there is still lots more work to be done and this campaign is focusing on what the charity would like election candidates to focus on:

*Continued Support for Campaigns to Raise Public Awareness of the Signs and Symptoms of Cancer
Campaigns such as Be Clear on Cancer help raise awareness and encourage people to seek help when they feel they can identify some key signs and symptoms of cancer within their bodies. During the BCOC lung cancer campaign, 700 more people were diagnosed with lung cancer and 300 more received potentially life saving treatment compared to the same time period the year before. CRUK want the government to continue to support such campaigns in the UK.


*A Commitment to Increase Participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. As with most cancers, patients diagnosed at an earlier stage are more likely to survive, with four out of five patients with the earliest stage of the disease surviving at least five years after diagnosis. However fewer then one in ten patients are diagnosed at the earliest stage. CRUK would like the government to ask local areas to increase the number of people participating in bowel screening by at least 10% as well as providing quality information on the risks and benefits of the screening process so people can make an informed decision on whether to participate.


*Strengthen the System and Processes that Support Cancer Diagnosis
Health is a devolved issue but people living in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can still get involved in the campaign as your next MP's will also need to be encouraged to keep cancer high on the political agenda. They will also have the power to advocate for improved health throughout the UK. Successful initiatives in England will have an impact on the other three nations so it is important MP's are aware of what is going on.

*Equal Access to Innovative Radiotherapy, Surgery and Effective Cancer Drugs, including Drugs Targeted to Patients' Tumours.
-Radiotherapy is a cost-effective and cutting edge cure for cancer. Treatments are becoming more sophisticated over time and CRUK believe it is important that patients receive the very latest treatments as soon as they have been proven effective and become available. Research suggests radiotherapy contributes to four in ten cases where the cancer is cured. My Ambo family helped secure over £23million from the government to help increase patient access to radiotherapy so that now over 6,000 more patients have access to a targeted radiotherapy with less side effects. CRUK now want to government to commit to a long term strategy to make innovative radiotherapy treatments available to all those who would benefit. This strategy should include details on how out dated radiotherapy machines will be replaced by newer equipment with more advanced techniques as well as how the workforce will be resourced,
-Surgery is essential when it comes to managing and treating cancer. It contributes to half of all cases were cancer is cured. Evidence suggests that older patients are less likely to have surgery for their cancer and CRUK believes surgery should be offered to ALL cancer patients where appropriate regardless of age. We want the government to commit to increase access to surgery for the older population.
-Cancer drugs are an important part in many patients treatment. Appropriate access to effective and innovative drugs is vital and we need the government to find a long term solution to make these drugs available to the patients who need them. NICE, the NHS and drug companies will be required to work together to make this happen. Personalised medicine is already revolutionising cancer treatment as it makes sure patients get the best drugs for their condition, and hopefully avoid side effects from the drugs specialists can predict will not work for them, We will hopefully develop many more targeted treatments in the future and we need to make sure the government and NHS develop a commissioning policy so patients can be offered the appropriate diagnostic tests.

Lizzy Allen, one of the lovely ladies looking after my Ambo family, has written a blog about the campaign which you can read here http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2014/10/24/its-time-to-cross-cancer-out-our-general-election-campaign/ 

You can take part in the campaign by taking two minutes to click the link and allow CRUK to email your election candidates and ask them to support the campaign. http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=149&ea.campaign.id=32425&ea.tracking.id=140b280a

Campaigns are what we Ambassadors do best and I'm hugely excited about this one. The build up to the general election is really important and I encourage as many people as possible to get involved and help decide who will be in charge of our country next. Thank you very much in advance for clicking the link!!

For more information please visit http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/support-us/campaign-for-us/cross-cancer-out

xxx

Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2014

November is lung cancer awareness month. Lung cancer and smoking is something frequently discussed on my blog so this post will be really brief and just go over the key facts!

The Lungs:

The lungs are part of the respiratory system and their main job is to bring oxygen into the body and pass it into the bloodstream.

The Respiratory System:

* The trachea (windpipe) divides up into two airways with one going into each lung. These are called the left main bronchus and the right main bronchus,

* These pipes are divided into smaller tubes inside the lung – two on the left and three of the right. These smaller tubes are known as the secondary bronchi

-          The secondary bronchi are then divided again into even smaller tubes called bronchioles

-          At the end of the bronchioles there are tiny air sacs called alveoli in which oxygen is passed into the bloodstream and passed around the body. At the same time carbon dioxide comes into the alveoli from the bloodstream ready to be breathed out.

Causes of Lung Cancer and Risk Factors:

Cancer of the lung is the second most common type in the UK. It is one of the few cancers that has very clear causes.

SMOKING causes 9/10 cases of lung cancer. I’ve done posts about smoking before so I won’t go into detail but the majority of lung cancer patients are smokers or former smokers. AS SOON AS YOU STOP SMOKING YOUR RISK OF LUNG CANCER STARTS TO GO DOWN SO IT IS ALWAYS WORTH GIVING UP

Being exposed to radon gas is can also increase your risk of lung cancer as well as exposure to certain other chemicals. Air pollution, past cancer treatment and a family history of lung cancer can also increase your risk.

Symptoms of Lung Cancer:

The most common symptoms are:

Having a persistant cough

Being short of breath

A change in a  cough you have had for a long while

Coughing up phlegm with traces of blood

Pain when breathing in

Pain when coughing

Loss of appetite

Losing weight

 

Less common symptoms are:

A hoarse voice

Difficulty swallowing

A swollen face or neck

 

Treating Lung Cancer:

There are a number of factors to be considered before your specialist will decide on the right treatment plan for you. These include the type of lung cancer you have, the grade and stage of it, your general health and the position of the cancer in your lung.

Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy are common treatments for lung cancer. Surgery may also be an option depending on where your cancer is in your lung.

It saddens to me to know that so many cases of lung cancer can be prevented if people didn’t smoke. The fact that lung cancer is the second most common cancer type in the UK and that 9/10 of lung cancer patients are smokers is the reason behind all the tobacco control campaigns Cancer Research UK do. We can lower the numbers significantly if people take advice offered to them and quit smoking. Going cold turkey will not be anywhere near as painful as lung cancer.

 

If you are looking to quit then here is a handy timeline for you to see how your body will repair the damage smoking has caused over time

 

Timeline:

20 Minutes After Your Last Cigarette – the temperate of your hands and feet has returned to normal and so has your blood pressure and your pulse rate.

8 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – The nicotine levels in your bloodstream has reduced by 93.25% which is just 6.25% of your normal daily level at the peak of smoking.

12 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – Your carbon monoxide levels have dropped to normal whilst your blood oxygen levels have increased to normal.

24 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – Your anxiety level will have peaked in its intensity, making you crave a cigarette – this will return to a normal level within two weeks.

48 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – Your nerve endings which have been damaged by smoking will be starting to regrow. Your sense of smell and taste will begin to return to a normal level. Your anger and irritability levels will have peaked, making you very agitated.

72 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – You will be entirely 100% nicotine free!!!! On top of that you will have passed over 90% of all the chemicals nicotine breaks down into (nicotine metabolites) via your urine. Breathing is becoming easier for you and your lungs are being to increase in function. Your lung bronchial tubes which lead to your alveoli (air sacs) are beginning to relax as your body recovers. On the downside, your chemical withdrawal symptoms have peaked in their intensity and you will feel restless amongst other things.

5 to 8 Days After Your Last Cigarette – You will encounter an average of three cue induced craving episodes per day at this time. These shouldn't last longer then a few minutes.

10 Days After Your Last Cigarette – You will encounter less then two cue induced craving episodes lasting no longer then three minutes.

10 Days to Two Weeks After Your Last Cigarette – You should be at the point where your addiction isn’t controlling you anymore. The blood circulation in your teeth and gums will become similar to that of a non smoker.

2 to 4 Weeks After Your Last Cigarette – You should no longer be feeling any anger, anxiety, impatience, insomnia, depression, restlessness or finding it difficult to concentrate due to your withdrawal from cigarettes. If you do then you should make an appointment to have these symptoms assessed by a doctor.

2 Weeks to 3 Months After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of a heart attack is starting to drop and your lung function is beginning to improve.

3 Weeks to 3 Months After Your Last Cigarette – Your circulation should be improving significantly. Walking will become easier. If you had a chronic cough as a smoker then it should be almost all gone (see a doctor if it hasn’t by this point).

8 Weeks After Your Last Cigarette – Your Insulin resistance will have normalised and you may have gained a little weight (the average weight gain at this point is 2.7kg).

1 to 9 Months After Your Last Cigarette – Cilia will have regrown in your lungs which means your lungs should have an increased ability to handle mucus, keep themselves clean and reduce infections. Your body’s overall energy level will have increased. Any shortness of breath, fatigue and sinus congestion related to smoking will have decreased significantly.

1 Year After Your Last Cigarette – Your heightened risk of coronary heart disease, heart attacks and stokes will have decreased to less then half of what it was when you smoked.

5 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of a subarachnoid hemorrhage has declined to 59% of what it was when you smoked. Female ex smokers will now find their risk of developing diabetes has decreased to that of a non smoker.

5 to 15 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of having a stroke has decreased to that of a non smoker.

10 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of developing lung cancer has decreased to 30-50% of a smoker. Risk of dying from lung cancer has decreased by about half. Your risk of developing cancer of the mouth, pancreas, throat and oesophagus has declined significantly. Risk of developing diabetes has decreased to a similar level for a non smoker for both male and female former smokers.

13 Years After Your Last Cigarette – The risk of losing teeth related to your smoking will have declined to the same level as someone who has never smoked.

15 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of developing coronary heart disease is now the same as a person who have never smoked as is your risk of developing cancer of the pancreas.

20 Years After Your Last Cigarette – The risk of a female former smoker dying from a smoking related illness will have reduced to the same level as someone who has never smoked.

 

If you are attempting to quit smoking or have managed to do so then I salute you. I would highly recommend keeping an eye on how much money you are saving by not smoking as that is also a great incentive to keep going when the craving are driving you crazy. Let me know how you get on and I wish you luck!

For more information on lung cancer please visit www.cancerresearchuk.org.uk

For information about quitting, please contact your local NHS Stop Smoking service

xxx 

Movember

Happy November one and all!!

November = Movember and its time to raise awareness of male centric cancers.

So boys make sure you read all about the cancers that target your male parts. Be clued up and use it as a legitimate reason to be checking yourselves over.

Prostate Cancer:

The Prostate:

The prostate is a gland found only in males. It surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis. It also carries semen. The prostate is responsible for creating the fluid part of semen. The prostate needs testosterone (the male sex hormone) to grow and function.

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer:

Having to rush to the toilet to pass urine

Difficulty in passing urine

Passing more urine than normal, especially at night

Pain when passing urine

Blood in urine or semen (very rare)

These symptoms are the same for prostate cancer and an enlarged prostate so it is important to go to the GP as soon as they appear. The symptoms are usually caused because the growth is pressing on the urethra and is blocking the flow of urine. It is important to remember that early prostate cancer does not usually cause any symptoms because the growth is too small to affect the flow of urine.  Prostate cancer usually grows quite slowly, especially in older gentleman. They may only suffer mild symptoms and they may occur over a number of years.

Causes and Risks:

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer for UK men (not counting non melanoma). There are some risk factors:

* Age is the most significant of these risk factors. Prostate cancer is quite rare in men younger than fifty – in fact more than half of all prostate cancer cases are found in men aged seventy plus.

* Having a family history of breast cancer or prostate cancer will also heighten your risk of developing this type of cancer

* If you are of African ancestry then your risk is also higher as this type of cancer is more common in men of black or mixed race descent then white or Asian men

Screening:

The aim of screening for prostate cancer is to diagnose the disease in the early stages when it is usually easier to treat and most likely to be curable. At the moment a national screening test is not available but research is being carried out and trials are taking place all the time.

Diagnosing Prostate Cancer

If your GP suspects prostate cancer then they will:

* Examine your prostate by placing a gloved finger into your back passage

* Get you to have a blood test to check your PSA levels (PSA = Prostate Specific Antigen)

This is not as painful or as embarrassing as it sounds. GP’s do this all the time and although having a finger inserted into your bottom may sound horrific, I am told by reliable sources that is really isn’t as bad as it sounds. Please don’t let the fear or embarrassment stop you getting this test if you feel you have a problem with your prostate – it could save your life.

With PSA levels, it is usually the higher the level, the more likely you are to have cancer. However, don’t be too alarmed by this fact – there could be another reason, for example an enlarged prostate or an infection. In fact, two out of three men with a raised PSA level do not have prostate cancer. It is possible for a man to have prostate cancer but not a high PSA level – this is where the gloved finger comes in handy.

Treating Prostate Cancer:

This is where my post will get complicated so I will try and keep it as clear and concise as possible!

Prostate cancer is divided up into stages. These stages will inform the doctor of how developed the cancer is and this information will help them decide on the best treatment plan for the patient in question. The stages are numbered 1-4 and your doctor will talk to you about your “TNM” which stands for Tumour, Nodes and Metastases. Basically this means they will discuss the size of the tumour, whether is has spread to any nearby lymph nodes and whether it has spread (metastasised) to anywhere else in your body.

Prostate cancer tends to spread to your bones rather than other organs. It is possible for it to metastasise even when the original prostate tumour is very small. This means early diagnosis is key to treating it and controlling it.

There are several factors doctors consider before deciding a treatment plan. These factors are:

* The stage of the cancer

* The grade of the cells (how they look under a microscope)

* Your Gleason score

* Your PSA levels

* Your age

* Your general health

Once these factors have been considered, your treatment options will become clearer and your doctor will discuss them with you. Please ask questions and make sure you feel comfortable with the treatment plan you are offered. Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion.

If the cancer is low risk and is localised to the prostate area only, then active monitoring is likely to be your treatment option. This means the cancer will be monitored and the doctors will wait to see if it develops. If it does start to develop then surgery may be an option and the prostate gland could be removed. Radiotherapy is also an option at this stage.

If the cancer is classed as an intermediate risk but is localised to the prostate area then surgery to remove the prostate gland may be an option. Radiotherapy may also be considered.

A high risk, localised tumour will usually be treated with surgery and external radiotherapy.

If the cancer has broken through the capsule that surround the prostate gland then this is known as locally advanced prostate cancer. This will usually involve surgery or radiotherapy which will be combined with hormone treatments.

There are many types of surgery for prostate cancer; it is worth taking a look at www.cancerresearchuk.org to read about them.

Testicular Cancer:

The Testicles:

The testicles are part of the male reproductive system and are two oval shaped organs that hang just below the penis in a skin pouch called the scrotum. From puberty, sperm is produced in the testicles as is the hormone testosterone.

Testicular Cancer Symptoms:

The most common symptom of testicular cancer is a lump or a swelling. PLEASE DON’T PANIC BECAUSE MOST TESTICULAR LUMPS ARE NOT CANCEROUS. A cancerous lump can vary in size but is usually not painful although some men will find they have a dull ache in the affected area or in their lower abdomen. The scrotum may feel heavy.

GUYS CHECK YOUR BALLS!

As I may have mentioned several hundred times before, cancer is easier to treat if it is caught early. Check your testicles often (once a month) and get to know how they feel normally. This will make it easier for you to notice and lumps and bumps that may appear. Get your partner to check them too so you have a second opinion if you need one.

The best time to check your testicles is after a warm bath because your scrotum skin will be relaxed. Here is a rough guide on how to check your testicles:

-         *  Hold your scrotum in the palms of your hands and use all your fingers and thumbs.

-          * Gently feel one testicle at a time.

-          * A noticeable increase in size or weight can be a sign that something is not right.

-          * You should be able to feel a soft tube at the top and back of the testicle. This is normal

-          * The actual testicle should be smooth with no lumps or swelling.

IF YOU DO FIND A LUMP OR HAVE CONCERN ABOUT YOUR TESTICLES, PLEASE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR GP ASAP. IT MAY BE SLIGHTLY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR YOU BUT DETECTING ANYTHING WRONG AT AN EARLY STAGE COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR TESTICLE!!!

Risks and Causes of Testicular Cancer:

Cancer of the testicles is quite rare in the UK and not much is known about what causes it. However, there are several factors that can increase a man’s risk of developing the disease:

-          * If a young boy has an undescended testicle than it should be corrected by the time they turn eleven to avoid an increase risk of testicular cancer.

-          * Some men have Carcinoma in situ (CIS) which is basically abnormal but not cancerous cells in the testicle. These cells will have to be monitored to ensure they do not develop into cancer and are caught early if they do.

-         *  If you have a brother that has suffered from testicular cancer then research suggests this could increase your risk of developing it too. Around 20% (1 in 5) testicular cancer cases are caused by faulty inherited genes.

-          * Ethnicity is also a factor. In the USA, white men are 5 times more likely to be diagnosed with testicular cancer then black men. In the UK, testicular cancer is also much more common in white men. As yet, not much is known about why this is.

Treatment for Testicular Cancer

There are many factors to consider before your specialist will decide on a treatment plan for you. They will consider the stage, grade and position of the cancer as well as your general health and whether or not the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Treatment by Stage:

Stage One – If you have very early testicular cancer then the likelihood is that you will have surgery to remove the whole of the affected testicle. This is called an orchidectomy. You may also be offered Radiotherapy or Chemotherapy.

Stage Two - The treatment of stage two testicular cancers depends on the size of the affected lymph nodes.  It may be treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Surgery to remove the lymph nodes may also be an option.

Stage Three – After surgery, stage three testicular cancers are always treated with chemotherapy to shrink the lymph nodes. If they don’t shrink back to a normal size then they may be removed or treated with radiotherapy.

So guys, I’m actually encouraging you to regularly have a good old feel of your testicles! It’s hugely important to know your own body and what is normal for you so abnormalities can be detected ASAP should they arise. This could save your life! Please do go to your GP if you have any worries about anything mentioned in my blog post today.

For more information about testicular cancer please visit www.cancerresearchuk.org or visit http://www.orchid-cancer.org.uk/ which is a specialist charity for male cancers.

If you have testicular cancer and would like to preserve your sperm by freezing it – please speak to your specialist or visit http://www.londonwomensclinic.com/

One of my friends, and most favourite people, Stuart Pilcher, is a testicular cancer survivor and you can read about him here: http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/stuart-pilcher-survivor-story.html

xxx

For the Love of George

It's no secret that my cousin, Georgie, is one of my favourite people in the world (I say is rather then was because no one will ever replace him) and that he is the driving force behind the work I do with cancer charities. My aunt has written a very accurate and really heartfelt book about my wonderful cousin which will hopefully help people who didn't meet him be able to understand just how incredible he was and that he was so much more then a young boy with cancer.

I'll admit it took me a few hours to find the courage to read the book when my aunt sent me the link and it downloaded onto my kindle but I'm so glad I read it. It's a tough read but my aunt has managed to really capture everything that made Georgie who he was as well as how much he meant to all of us. After reading it I felt like I had gone back in time and lost him all over again, I'm struggling to believe it's been three and a half years since he left us. 

Georgie had a tough journey, his story doesn't have a happy ending, especially for those of us that struggle without him. But with the fantastic work my aunt and uncle are doing in his memory I hope his lasting legacy will be to protect others from going through what he went through. 

The other thing the book reminded me was just how amazing my family is. We've been to hell and back several times but we are a strong unit and there is no doubt in my mind that we will continue to support each other through thick and thin. The pride I feel for my family is sacred and even when I'm miles away, I hope they know the love I have for them all. 

Some of the proceeds from the book will be going to The George Pantziarka TP53 Trust (www.tp53.co.uk)

For kindle you can buy the book at this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00OYWOUYM/454

For hard copy http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1502741482/454