Cancer survivor receives £1m donation for Cancer Research UK
A MIDLAND cancer survivor was thrilled to get an early Christmas present of £1 million towards helping other victims of the disease survive.
Debbie Ringham, from Cheslyn Hay, Walsall, who now works for Cancer Research UK, was handed the staggering amount for the charity from Morrisons supermarket.
Shoppers and staff have spent the past seven months raising the huge total.
The 33-year-old former Birmingham University events manager knows only too well the importance of donations for research and treatment as she battled back from thyroid cancer thanks to medical advances.
Debbie was only 24 when she noticed a marble sized lump in her neck in 2000 and discovered it was a cancerous cyst following a biopsy.
“The last thing I expected was to be told that the lump was cancerous,” said Debbie.
“It was a shock and my first thought was ‘I’ve got so many things left that I want to do and so many places I want to visit’.
“When you’re young you don’t think about your own mortality, but this altered my outlook.”
Debbie underwent an operation to remove her thyroid gland, followed by treatment with radioactive iodine to kill any remaining cancer cells.
She was isolated in a lead-lined room for a few days for the radioactive iodine treatment, with food and drink passed quickly through the door by staff.
Even when she returned home to her parents’ house in Oldbury, Debbie had to keep a precautionary distance from other people because she was potentially radioactive.
“The experience of having cancer did change me,” said Debbie. “It made me realise how important research is and how I benefited from the experience of all the patients before me.
“It is an honour to receive this £1 million gift and say thank you on their behalf to everyone at Morrisons.”
Morrisons staff voted for Cancer Research UK as their charity of the year.
The Raise a Smile campaign started in April and has been their most successful ever.
Fundraising included coast-to-coast cycles, Pennine Waywalks and donations from customers.
Angus Maciver, a director at Morrisons, said: “The £1 million mark is a magnificent milestone.
“We hope this early Christmas present helps raise a smile among all those who are committed to helping fund pioneering research that will enable more families stay together for longer.”
