So what is the Walk of Hope?
Simply put it is a 10km walk, that will take place on the 3rd September at Tatton Park in Knutsford, Cheshire to help raise funds for The Christie Hospital in Manchester.

The Christie Hospital delivers top quality Cancer Care as well as being a centre for Education and Cancer Research - they saved my life!

I was diagnosed with Bowel cancer in February 2008, after completing the routine bowel screening programme that came through the post because I was over 60. I started treatment in early March and was looking at surgery in late March/early April 2008. Then I found out that I also had Prostate Cancer. I was convinced that my life was coming to an end. My treatment was transferred to the Christie Hospital, as this is the foremost centre for Cancer treatment, certainly in the North West of England, if not the whole of the UK. I started a treatment of Radiotherapy under the Christie Colorectal Team (as part of a plan to shrink the tumours and prepare me for  the necessary surgery for the bowel cancer while keeping  the prostate cancer under control as this was quite advanced .By the end of October 2008, I was ready for surgery and this took place on the 12th November 2008 at the Christie Hospital. Thankfully, I came out of surgery with a reversible Loop Ileostomy, and following a course of chemotherapy, in July 2009 I was again under the knife at The Christie to have the Ileostomy removed and my bowel restored back to normal working order. Following the surgeries I  had to have regular 3 monthly check-ups, but thankfully no further treatment on my bowel has been necessary and my check-ups have now been extended to every 6 months. I still have the prostate cancer, but this is being kept under control by hormone treatment under the control of that part of the Christie team and my prognosis is good in this respect.

The treatment I have received from The Christie hospital is second to none. Every member of staff there is 100% dedicated to the job they do and to providing the best possible care for their patients and also for the families of patients, Not once during my treatment, either in the past or now, has any member of the Christie's staff  been anything other than positive, from the surgeon's down to the volunteers. They are completely fantastic and there is no doubt that without them, and the positive support from my family, I wouldn't be here today. This is why we 'The Staniforths' are taking part in the Walk of Hope on the 3rd of September 2011.

 

Please help us to reach our target of £1,000 and sponsor us for as much as you can - after all your sponsorship could help to save somene else's life.