Story
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Well - I did it! I survived to tell my story.
I’ve set up this fund to mark the anniversary of when I become dangerously ill. As many of you know, on the 29th October last year my life was saved by some outstanding professionals. From that first difficult week in the Acute Care Unit followed by almost 4 months of investigations and procedures that culminated in the diagnosis and a complete cure of a cancer in my small intestine.Through this appeal, I want to;1) raise your awareness of Bowel Cancer (ref; www.stmarksfoundation.org & www.loveyourgut.com)2) recognise the brilliant work of Dr Chris Fraser and Mr Robin Kennedy at St Mark’s Hospital3) help raise money for a specific project being led by Chris and Robin to developing New Minimally Invasive Treatments for Early Colon Cancer & Exporting Them to the World.I am using my story to ask you to donate. This short campaign will culminate with a cheque presentation to the Foundation at St Mark’s Hospital on 29th October 2009 (only a couple of weeks from now).Please ACT NOW and donate as much as you possibly can, personally and from your company too!My storyOn 29th October last year I was taken dangerously ill. An ordinary autumn day, turned into a series of life threatening events that should only be seen on TV!My story is about my good fortune, and about how our lives are so fragile, that we can switch from feeling on top form (I was at a client’s office in Reigate), to suddenly being overwhelmed with a sense of being unwell. Initially I had no pain, no obvious ailment - just a huge sense of not being right.Not knowing that I was hemorrhaging at the time, I got myself home and without warning I collapsed in my bedroom, alone in the house. My reflex grabbed the phone as I collapsed and I called 999. I spoke to Shelley Buckle, the call handler at the London Ambulance Service in Waterloo. The next thing I knew was seeing the Paramedics, Mark Welch and Lawrence Jenkins who had arrived quickly to rescue me. Their speed and professionalism was undoubtedly a life saver. The team in the ER, Accident and Emergency were life savers too. The general public who had donated blood ‘did something amazing’ and added to my list of life savers. The teams in the Acute Care Unit led by Dr Meron Jacyna did fantastic work to stabilise me and undertake the initial investigations during the early days in Hospital. Then Dr Chris Fraser and Mr Robin Kennedy took over my care at St Mark’s Hospital and it was their amazing skill and expertise that diagnosed and removed the cancer that had disclosed itself by hemorrhaging so acutely almost one year ago.The facts
My huge debt of gratitude must go to St Mark’s Hospital for their world class and truly ground breaking approaches and techniques in the diagnosis and cure for Bowel disease. No one should have to suffer a serious illness if it can be avoided or prevented. The fact is that Bowel disease destroys lives. Every 15 minutes someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer in this country. Every 30 minutes someone dies.Yet tragically, bowel cancer is one of the easiest cancers to treat if it is detected early and one of the most difficult if it is detected late. Sadly, it was the late detection of Bowel Cancer that led to the death of my father-in-law Victor Cooper back in 2003. Early screening and detection of bowel cancer and the diagnosis and treatment of other bowel disorders are therefore vital tools in avoiding preventable deaths and suffering.The Mission
This Hospital and these professionals have much more work to do to fulfill their stated Mission ‘to save and improve the lives of those suffering from colorectal and intestinal disorders. By raising funds for more research at St. Mark’s and educating the public on early detection.’ I want us to help them continue this great work, by raising money for a specific project for new treatments to be exported to the world. It is a project which uses a revolutionary combination of laparoscopy and endoscopy to treat those with early colon cancer.This work would allow up to 2,400 patients to be spared major surgery each year in the . Moreover, whilst the primary focus here is on lesions of the colon, a similar operative strategy could also pay dividends for early cancers of the stomach. Also included in this proposal are key investments to distribute this research to a worldwide audience thus helping tens of thousands more people each year.The St Mark’s Hospital Foundation is a registered charity and the only source of much needed funds to further their work.The Target
I want us to raise at least £10,000 using JustGiving.com to celebrate one year on from my trauma and to recognise and contribute to the amazing work of Dr Fraser and Mr Kennedy.We will help ensure that the world’s first and still one of the world’s finest, specialist hospitals continues to push the boundaries of patient care and research in the fight against bowel disease. St. Mark’s Hospital Foundation is the charitable arm of St Mark’s Hospital – the world’s first specialist bowel disease hospitalYour generosity will contribute to saving so many lives into the future, both here and all around the world.
Thank you!
Kevin