PAT’S PEOPLE, at 9 September 2021

It is over 11 years now since I lost my wife Patricia to gallbladder cancer. Pat sadly passed away in February 2010, only five weeks after terminal cancer had been officially confirmed, and just over two months since an operation for the removal of her gallbladder, a process that our family expected to be routine. Unfortunately it was not, and our lives were turned upside down. 

Pat and I had been together since September 1963, so you may imagine the shock and heartache that our family experienced then, and have learned to cope with since. My boys, David and Stephen, along with their families have done everything possible to support me, and I shall always be so grateful to them all.

We all got together in 2011 in our favourite place, Guernsey in the Channel Islands, where Pat & I honeymooned, then spent many happy holidays along with the boys in their younger days, and on our own later on. In fact our last holiday in Guernsey was June 2009, just a few months before things started to go wrong.  In June 2011 we took Pat's ashes back to what we now call her "spititual home", and are happy to continue to visit the Island, not in the sense of a pilgrimage, but as a wonderful place to go to, and to share many happy memories. Some of the things my boys got up to on these holidays have come out into the open lately! It's just  as well Pat & I didn't know about them earlier!

Over the last few years David & I, then with Stephen, have gone back to Guernsey for a "long weekend", two years ago including Grandson Greg. Obviously 2020 didn't work, but it was great that David, Stephen and I could go back for our "Jolly Boys" trip at the beginning of August this year, followed a few weeks later with David, me and grandson Harry (age 15) returning for a two week stay. We thoroughly enjoyed it and got away with some really good weather - much better than on the mainland. I am pleased Harry is following the families footsteps - he enjoys Guernsey as much as we do!

Gallbladder cancer, part of the Hepatobiliary strain, is a rare and very aggressive form of the disease. In Pat’s case, diagnosis came far too late to save her. Pat spent her last days at St. James’s Hospital in Leeds, and whilst their Oncology Department is world renowned, Hepatobiliary research lags well behind in terms of manpower and funding. I understand that there are six Research Fellows working specifically in this area at St. James’s, and it costs each one approximately £10,000 annually in laboratory expenses alone, so you can see what they are up against. 

In September 2010 our family decided to try to assist the people at  St James's, if only in a small way, and I became an authorised fundraiser for the Ray of Hope Trust Fund (ref 5T41), the charity for the Hepatobiliary Department, which is part of Leeds Hospitals Charity (formerly the Leeds Hospitals Charitable Foundation , and Leeds Cares) Registered Charity Number 1170369.

At the time of writing we have raised over £50,000  (including Gift Aid) for the Ray of Hope, thanks mainly to nine fantastic Brass Band concerts that we have been able to organise involving the world famous Black Dyke Band. They played for us at Morley and Dewsbury and six times at Ossett Town Hall, most recently on 27th April 2019. It would of course have been 10 concerts but for Corona in 2020.

The key factor in our campaign is diagnosis time. It is impossible now to work out exactly when correct diagnosis would have been needed to give Pat a fighting chance, but if we can assist research into this disease at St. James’ and help to save the life of just one person in the process, our efforts will have been worthwhile.

So, if you feel able to join our cause right now and become one of Pat’s People, you can make a donation - however small - via this website. JustGiving will send your donation direct to the Leeds Hospitals Charity for "Ray of Hope", and if you are a tax payer they automatically reclaim Gift Aid on behalf of the LHC. Furthermore JustGiving is fast and totally secure, and guarantees never to spam you or sell your details. 

In August 2020 I moved from Ossett in West Yorkshire to live with my eldest son David, in Arborfield, near Reading in Berkshire, in an extension I had build. Apparantly I need looking after, and it seemed the logical thing to do at my age !! So, I have reluctantly decided to retire from  my fundraising activities, but have kept the Just Giving a/c open in the hope of raising a little more for the Ray of Hope.

Your help and generosity mean a great deal to our family, and with all funds received being "ringfenced" and going direct to Ray of Hope, I and they, will be enormously grateful.

With thanks for your generosity, sincerely, Graham Willis

Telephone 01189 762290 Email geewill41@yahoo.co.uk

Supported by David, Christopher and Harry; Stephen and Clare, Gregory (and girlfriend Maisie) and Victoria.

Graham & Patricia - a la perchoine! 14.9.63 - 7.2.10