Norwich Son Tackles Edinburgh Marathon For Hospital Charity
Shaun Lowthorpe is grabbing his running shoes and tackling the Edinburgh Marathon in a bid to raise money for the Bowel Cancer Screening Fund, part of the hospital charity, at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
Shaun‘s family had experience of the ‘wonderful’ NNUH bowel screening team when his father, Walter, was successfully diagnosed and treated for bowel cancer at the hospital.
Shaun said: “Without the screening team at the hospital my dad Walter would not be alive today. They first diagnosed that he had cancer and since then he has been successfully treated and has not looked back since.”
Shaun continued: “‘My Dad, now 70, received his bowel screening test kit in the post in late 2007 and although he displayed no symptoms and felt well, he was asked to undergo further tests. Following a colonoscopy he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. After surgery to remove sections of his bowel Dad received eight months of chemotherapy sessions and fortunately after follow-up treatment was given the all clear.”
In 2006 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) was one the first sites to introduce the new national screening programme to help detect bowel cancer at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be effective. The test does not diagnose bowel cancer but gives an indication as to whether further investigations are required by the bowel cancer screening team at NNUH.
Louise Cook, fundraising manager, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Shaun is supporting the bowel cancer screening fund, part of the hospital charity. To remember and support the team which diagnosed the cancer early is a reflection of the care and support they give to our patients. Money raised will be spent in screening bowel cancer.”
For further information about NNUH and to find out how to support the charity, please call 01603 287107 or visit www.nnuh.nhs.uk.
To sponsor Shaun please go to https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/shaunsedinburghmarathon2015
Notes
Bowel Screening is a national programme and means those more than 60 years old are sent a simple test kit to complete in the privacy of their home. The test involves collecting a small sample from three separate bowel motions. Using a specially designed prepaid envelope, the kit is then returned to the laboratory for analysis.
The NNUH laboratory analyses the samples, looking for tiny traces of blood that may be invisible to the naked eye and invites patients in if they believe and further investigation is required.
The Edinburgh Marathon is on 31st May.
Dermatology Consultant to run her first marathon to help those with skin cancer
Jennifer Garioch, Consultant Dermatologist from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) is to run the Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for items such as a confocal microscope which can diagnose skin cancer without the need for a biopsy.
Jennifer said “At the NNUH we are fortunate to already have sophisticated diagnostic equipment but the new confocal microscope will allow us to improve the already successful service in place. As a dermatology consultant, I see the importance of detecting this cancer early and wanted to help my team and patients by fundraising myself by running the Edinburgh Marathon.
“This will be the first marathon I have ever run so will be a challenge for me and will hopefully start us on the path to fundraising for the Skin Cancer fund, part of the hospital charity.”
Around 13,300 cases of malignant melanoma (a type of skin cancer) were diagnosed in 2011 in the UK, which is 37 people every day. Melanoma can grow quickly and can spread if detected late. A confocal microscope can diagnose melanoma in its earliest stages allowing it to be treated before it develops the potential to spread thus improving the outlook for patients who are diagnosed with melanoma.
The confocal microscope can examine the upper layers of the skin and can detect skin cancer cells which cannot be seen on normal skin examination. It allows skin doctors to diagnose skin cancers such as melanoma in their earliest stages whilst the skin cancer is still small and curable. At the moment, suspected skin cancers have to be removed surgically and examined by a pathologist using a conventional microscope. The confocal microscope not only allows early detection of skin cancer but it can prevent unnecessary excisions which can leave scars.
Louise Cook, NNUH fundraising manager, said: “We are thrilled that a member of the NNUH team has decided to support the skin cancer fund, part of the hospital charity and within and an area of the hospital close to Jennifer’s heart and specialty”.
The Edinburgh Marathon is on 31st May.
If you would like to make a donation http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?charityId=1003349&pageId=353222 for more information about the marathon visit http://www.edinburgh-marathon.com
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