This webpage is no longer active please look at www.justgiving.com/teamsparling for this years fundraising

 

 

Derek Sparling has been diagnosed with throat cancer and is undergoing treatment at Guys Hospital. He had been suffering with a sore throat and later an ear ache and despite being treated by medical staff in Portugal it was not until they took a CAT scan after a period 5 months that they found a lump in his throat.

They have returned from Portugal temporarily and have been advised that the treatment could take up to 6 months. Derek has since had a Laryngectomy on the 8th September 2008 and is presently recovering from the surgery at Guys Hospital. As a result of this he has permanently lost his voicebox and undergone major surgery to remove the large tumour in his neck.

This came as a huge shock to the family and as a result we decided to do something about raising awareness, part of this was to undertake the 10K sponsored walk in Hyde Park on the 20 September 2008. We completed the Walk  with over 600 participants including those who have survived the Cancer. It was a humbling experience walking with them and to see their determination to cross the line.

The cancer can occur in any part of the mouth, tongue, lips, throat, salivery glands, pharynx, larynx, sinus and other sites located in the head and neck area. These 'Mouth Cancers' have a higher proportion of deaths per number of cases than breast cancer, cervical cancer or skin melanoma.

In its very early stages, mouth cancers can be almost invisible making it easy to ignore. You can improve your chances of survival if the cancer is detected early and rapidly treated.

It is important to have a self-awareness and to perform regular, self examinations to help in the early identification of common symptoms, please have a look at the website for more information:

www.MouthCancerFoundation.org 

We started off with the aim to raise £1,000 and have so far passed that total thanks to some great support from friends and family. We are inspired to raise even more and would ask you to sponsor us and donate to this worthy cause.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor us: Mouth Cancer Foundation Limited gets your money faster and, if you are an UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

The list of names below are those of people who have donated via the internet. We have also recieved monies offline as either cheques or cash ( Derek and Pamela, Grigor Hiscock, Mark Foreman, Albert and Maureen Jackson, Anne and John Anderson, Coral Lunn, Riccardo and Friends from 'The Crown') and we thank everybody very much for your support.

16 March 2009 - Message from Team Sparling:

The Charity advised that we raised the second highest amount as a 'Team' on the day and as a result we have recently featured in the local press, a copy can be seen if you click on the FlickR link opposite, a shame they spelt our surname wrong! 

Message from Pamela:

We  are so fortunate to have had support and love from our family and friends. The many messages of love from all of you in Portugal, England and afar has helped me so much during this very troubled time. I send you my heartfelt love and appreciation for your kindness and generosity towards us and the Charity. The care Derek is receiving at Guys Hospital is excellent. The staff are always helpful and cheerful in difficult circumstances. I have nothing but the utmost praise for Guy's Hospital.

Contact Details:

UPDATE 28 Apr 2009:

Derek & Pamela: Are now back home in Portugal, their address is Edificio Montana, Apartment 2A, Praia D'Ana, Lagos 8600-604, Portugal. Tel:00351282768893, email: sparling@sapo.pt, Skype: sparlingpt 

Anthony (Tone): Home tel: +44 1634 406 586. Mobil.e: +44 7825 971 577. Email tonesparling@aol.com

Derek Update:

28 Apr: Derek and Pamela arrive safely back to Praia D'Ana and are so pleased to be home. To see the smile on their faces is a joy to behold. "Fantastic" is one word repeated often. Having been away for 8 months it is all feeling quite new.

20 Apr: Just when things are going well Derek has a setback. He has a very unsettled night with a fever, the local GP transfers him to Darenth Valley Hospital for tests as he is unable to detect any symptons himself. Derek & Pamela spend the whole of the afternoon and most of the evening there, nothing untoward is found until a late urine sample detects an infection. Huge relief all round for one and all, another set of pills required to add to the cocktail already being administered. A very worrying day but it appears that all ends well. Unfortunately, they do not make their scheduled appointment for Guys Hospital which will now need to be re-arranged.

17 Apr: Derek and Pamela travel by train to visit the Surgeon at Guys Hospital who is very pleased with the progress being made as well as full of admiration for both Derek (for getting through the surgery and subsequent traumas) and Pamela (for her support and strength of character). He signs him off but would like to see him in September to see how things are progressing.

12 Apr: Derek and Pamela enjoy a trip to the seaside, taking in a visit to Lancing College (Kate's new school next year) as well as having lunch at 'The Fish Factory' and taking a stroll along the seafront at Worthing (Take a look at the pictures on Flickr opposite). They are nearing their departure date from the UK and have one last visit booked at Guys Hospital next Monday 20 April.

8 Apr: Derek and Pamela now have a new laptop with internet access, their email address is sparling@sapo.pt and if you use skype add 'sparlingpt' as a contact to see when they are online. A visit to Guys Hospital is planned for tomorrow and this will hopefully get the all clear for their return home. Pamela is gradually getting useful information for back up and contacts in the Algarve to assist them when they return.

30 Mar: OK dates have been set for the return to Portugal. Derek and Pamela are due to fly back late afternoon Monday 27 April 2009. Things are continuing well with no serious mishaps to report. They are looking forward to returning home and catching up with friends.

16 Mar: Apologies for the lack of updates, not that there has not been any news to tell, but I unfortunately have been incredibly busy of late.......Derek has continued to make steady progress and is gradually building up his strength. He and Pamela returned to Guys last Friday for a check up and by all accounts it was good news. So much so that the end of April has now been set as the target to return to Portugal. It is something for them both to strive for and and to put in place all the necessary arrangements to ensure Derek's recovery continues back at home. It is a welcome relief to them both and at last something positive to look forward to.

Jane and Derek Powell with whom they have 'house swopped' have been very understanding and have agreed to extend their time in Portugal until the end of April, so the contact details remain the same in case you would like to get in touch.

16 Feb: Derek returns to Gravesend on the 5th February and has settled into homely life, which has come as a great relief, he continues to make steady albeit slow progress and as each day passes he is getting a little stronger. For the time being they are staying in the present house in Gravesend.

5 Feb: Derek did not make it home as we had hoped but has made some progress in the last week and the plan is for him to be discharged today. Subject to weather conditions allowing the transfer to take place. They will most likely be moving to another Gravesend address shortly as the Powell's are due to return from their sojourn in Portugal, details will be posted in due course.

25 Jan: The operation seems to have been a success as Derek has been more comfortable. If things go well we hope he will be discharged for the weekend.

21 Jan: Derek undergoes a minor operation to resolve the breathing difficulties he has been experiencing.

19 Jan: Derek will be staying at Guys for the time being to overcome a problem he is experiencing as a result of the radiotherapy. It is not major but he needs to be near practised nursing staff who can resolve the stoma issues he is experiencing at the moment. We hope as he gets stronger and the effects of the radiotherapy wear off he will soon be discharged. He has set himself a target date of returning to Portugal in time for Easter.

9 Jan: The Oncology Team review  Derek's progress and decide to stop the Radiotherapy treatment, much to Derek's relief. He will stay in Guys for the timebeing and will hopefully be discharged on the 16th January.

2 Jan: Happy New Year! Not the best of starts for Derek and Pamela. Derek makes it home on New Years Eve, but a problem means they are whisked to Medway Hospital at midnight and do not leave until 3 am. The radiotherapy has left Derek very tired and he decides to stay at Guys when he returns for another radiotherapy session on Friday.

30 Dec: Derek was home for Xmas and Boxing Day but needed to return earlier than expected to Guys as he was experiencing dizzy spells when standing up. After taking some blood tests they are reviewing his condition and it is most likely he will stay in Guys for the rest of this week. Only another 11 radiotherapy sessions to go, they are leaving him feeling quite tired at the moment. 

22 Dec: Week 4 is completed, a hiccup with the extraction machine delays Dereks trip home and he just misses seeing Maurice & Jeanette who come to visit last Saturday. Back in Guys for 3 more sessions before coming home on Xmas Eve. Jane, Laura and James are visiting for the Xmas period. 

15 Dec: Week 3 of radiotherapy is completed and he is feeling quite tired, side affects as a result of the treatment mean he has very little sense of taste, a lack of hunger and some breathing difficulties. The treatment will continue over the Festive Period but there will be breaks at Christmas and the New Year.

12 Dec: Derek celebrates his 80th Birthday and is very touched by all the cards he receives and best wishes via telephone calls and emails.

7 Dec: Derek completes week 2 of radiotherapy and things are going well on this front. A slight hiccup over the weekend ensures Derek and Pamela enjoy the hospitality of Medway Hospital for a few hours on Saturday, but all end's well. Remember to raise a glass of cheer this Friday 12th as it will be Derek's 80th Birthday!!!

30 Nov: Derek completes his first week of radiotherapy and returns home last Friday. Despite the Boiler breaking down, a comfortable weekend is had before he returns to Guys tomorow for Week 2 of radiotherapy. It looks as if the treatment will continue over the Festive Period and into the middle of January.

24 Nov: Derek returns to Guys to commence his radiotherapy treatment, and will stay at the hospital until he returns home on Friday. He is getting a little stronger each day and even went shopping in Gravesend at the weekend, visited the local butcher and bought some lamb and cooked his infamous lamb stew yesterday.

17 Nov: Derek gets his way (this is a good sign) and persuades Guys to discharge him Friday night. He has a restful weekend and will stay for the rest of the week at home in Gravesend under the watchful eye of Nurse Pamela. He returns to Guys on Friday for a check up to decide when the radiotherapy will commence. Lets hope this week is a good one for him and he can continue his recovery and gain valuable strength?

13 Nov: Guys Oncology Team have decided to delay Derek's radiotherapy treatment due to his weak condition. He is having further tests and remains in Guys for the moment. Additional care is being organised to help Pamela and when this is in place and Derek's results are known he will be discharged and return to Gravesend. The radiotherapy treatment is now due to commence on the 24 November 2008.

10 Nov: Derek returns to Guys this morning for the commencement of his radiotherapy treatment. It has been a traumatic time having him home, he is very weak and in need of constant care. Pamela has been a tower of strength but it is such a demanding time both physically and emotionally for her.

6 Nov: Derek has a good nights sleep in his new home and is visited by a Senior Nurse (Lizzie) from Guys and is introduced to two local District Nurses. Lizzie organises transport for Derek so that he is collected by taxi on Monday morning and returned Friday afternoon during his radiotherapy treatment. He also has his first bath in 9 weeks, which he really enjoys, the only problem comes when it is time to get out......he cannot and Pamela finds the task too difficult. Pamela knocks on the door of a neighbour and introduces herself for the first time...most neighbours expect a request for a bowl of sugar or some spare milk, not "Do you think you could help me get my husband out of the bath as he is stuck?" The next door neighbour gets to meet Derek in the buff, but he does manage to extract him eventually! What an introduction!!!

5 Nov: Good news! Derek is discharged from Guys and is staying in the 'House Swop' in Gravesend (details mentioned above). There have been ongoing discussions with the Hospital regarding the follow up treatment and it has been agreed that he will return to Guys on Sunday 9 Nov to begin the radiotherapy treatment. He will stay in Guys during the week and if strong enough will return at weekends to Gravesend. Fortunately, the amount of treatment has almost been halved, he will now have 4 weeks of radiotherapy, Monday to Friday, instead of the original 7 weeks that would have meant daily trips from Gravesend to St Thomas's in London. He has also been advised that chemotherapy is not now required.

It was a very emotional departure from Guys, he had been there almost 10 weeks including his stay following the biopsy prior to the operation. Along the way, apart from the surgery he also suffered two haemorrhages, one of which was very critical and more recently a minor stroke. He has battled his way through all this and not given up hope, he is as you can imagine pretty weak at this moment in time, another one of the boxes has been ticked, there are a few more to go.

2 Nov: Unfortunately Derek suffered a low blood pressure problem last week, which required further tests to be carried out. This has delayed his discharge date and we are hopeful for some good news on this later this week. He has had his voice valve fitted and started his speech therapy sessions. It will be a while before we hear a full blast "PAMELA!" but we are confident he will get there!

25 Oct: Derek continues to improve and there is hope for being able to leave Guys next week.

20 Oct: Derek dons tracksuit yesterday and sets out for a long walk within the hospital grounds. Today he will visit St Thomas's for the mask fitting and will hopefully learn the extent of his radiotherapy treatment as well as news of when he might be released from hospital.  He should be back on oral food and drink from today. He is doing very well and looking healthy and with a twinkle in his eye!

15 Oct: Derek asks Pamela to buy him a tracksuit, lets hope he has not taken up jogging!

13 Oct: Derek continues with his steady progress and is spending more time out of bed, sitting up in a chair and taking brief walks.

9 Oct: Derek is making steady progress and is taking things nice and slow. He will most likely be in hospital for another couple of weeks.

6 Oct: Derek returns to Blundell Ward this morning to the great relief of all the staff caring for him. They are so pleased to have him back.

5 Oct: Derek regained consciousness last evening, earlier than expected and Pamela and I visited him today. We came away elated with his incredible staying and recovery powers, even the medical team are in awe. It appears that there has not been any brain injury, which was a major concern yesterday. He awoke and communicated with his nurse and moved arms and legs as requested. He remembered a conversation I had had with him last Friday before the haemorrhage. He was sitting in a chair when we left him today. It is difficult to explain the huge relief and eurphoria we are experiencing at this moment as well as the tremendous pride we feel for him. He will hopefully be moved back to Blundell Ward on Tuesday and continue with his recuperation from the surgery. Phew!!!!!!

4 Oct: We have had devastating and distressing news. Derek suffered another and very major haemorrhage last evening. He is currently in Intensive Care in an unconscious yet stable condition. We will not have any further news until he regains consciousness which is being controlled and prioritised by the Intensive Care Team, we hope it will be sometime tomorrow.

2 Oct: Derek had an X Ray of the operated area today and the result was good so he will resume eating and drinking orally. This had not been possible since the haemorrhage, The wounds and skin grafts are healing well and he is starting to get some good sleep at night. They are hoping to start some speech therapy sessions soon.

30 Sept: Derek is almost back to where he was before the setback. He has decided to take it easy, relax and let his body recover at a gentler pace. He is now walking with the aid of only a walking stick. He is due to have some X Rays taken tomorrow and if all clear should be able to resume eating and drinking normally. Pamela hopes to meet with his Surgeon tomorrow to find out how things are progressing. Derek is happy to receive any texts to his mobile (details below).

27 Sept: Derek is improving daily and getting stronger.

24 Sept: Derek returns to the Blundell Ward.

23 Sept: Derek returns to Guys Hospital and is currently in the Critical Care Ward being observed following the recent setback in his recovery. He is stable and comfortable and on the mend.

21 Sept: Derek is moved to St Thomas's to undergo further tests, he is stable but still losing some blood.

20 Sept: Team Sparling visit Derek after the Walk and are only with him for a short time when he has a setback. He suffers a haemorrhage and the medical team respond swiftly, he is stabilised and undergoes tests to find where the problem is.

19 Sept: Text from Derek "Slept all night woke at 6.30 for P and glass of cold water does it get better than this?"

17 Sept: Text from Derek "I received PDF card same day as Portuguese nurse removes clamps/stitches from cut throat and had my first swallow. Douro not in Guys cellar but water and tea great. Thanks so much for all your good wishes"

Previous updates lost !!??!!

11 Sept: Sometimes pictures speak louder than words. Look at the thumbnail picture opposite!!!

10 Sept: Derek goes for a short walk less than 48 hours after operation.

9 Sept: Derek is moved out of Intensive Care and back to Blundell Ward in the afternoon...Incredible!

8 Sept: Derek undergoes laryngectomy and re construction surgery. The operation last nearly 8 hours.