Cancer patient from Alderley Edge takes centre stage in a new video from The Christie

Eleven cancer patients from The Christie are the stars of the cancer centre’s Highlights of the Year video for 2021-22.

Patients, carers and fundraisers take centre stage in the film, which celebrates some of the key achievements of The Christie and how these benefit patients.

The film focuses on how The Christie provided extra support to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the hospital adapted and innovated.

The video celebrates the life-changing work that takes place at The Christie and showcases how patients benefit from holistic care and the highest standards of treatment.

In the video, patients are shown having conversations with each other about their cancer and their experience of being treated at The Christie.

Brigid Watson, a patient from Alderley Edge who had her urgent bowel cancer surgery cancelled three times by her local hospital, highlights how The Christie stepped in to provide the surgery at short notice. Brigit is filmed talking to Eileen Kinsella, from Atherton, an ovarian cancer patient given only months to live who is alive today thanks to a clinical trial at The Christie.

Brigid Watson said: “I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity to share my experience of treatment at The Christie and to help the hospital publicise some of their key highlights from the last year. It is important that people hear from the patients, their families, and fundraisers to understand how special The Christie really is.”

Bowel cancer patients Sharon Williams from Saddleworth and Cindy Huxley from Rochdale discuss how they became friends through having treatment together at a chemotherapy outreach centre (Dr Kershaw’s Hospice in Royton) provided by The Christie.

And brain tumour survivor and fundraiser Gareth Longden from Tameside talks to a prostate cancer survivor who benefited from a clinical trial, Jim Thornhill from Sale.

Leukaemia patient Abdul-Rahman Sahih El-Islam Tayar from Stretford discusses how he was able to use a chemotherapy infusion pump that automatically gave him his treatment at home and how he benefitted from spiritual support via the hospital’s chaplaincy team. Abdul shares his experiences with testicular cancer survivor Paul Ferriday from Littleborough, who has been living with cancer since first being diagnosed in 2008. Cricket fan Paul, who had a cancer recurrence in 2019, helped to raise awareness and funding for testicular cancer by forming a ‘ball tampering allowed’ group of friends to take on the Manchester to Blackpool Bike ride recently.  

Chorlton’s Eliana Keeling shares her experience of being on a life-saving clinical trial for leukaemia with the mother of one of The Christie’s pediatric patients. Amy Fielding is the mum of eight-year-old Amelie Fielding, from Warrington and a Christie fundraiser. Amy explains how she nominated The Christie’s proton beam therapy team for an award for the outstanding care Amelie received.

A patient who has benefited from the emotional support provided by The Christie’s art room, Nabila Sabir from Withington, discusses her thoughts about how important the service is with Joyce Crook from Bolton, who has benefited from having pre-treatment blood tests taken in her local community as well as cancer treatments administered in the comfort of her own home.

Finally, one of The Christie’s vitally important corporate donors, Georgina Lynch from property developers PJ Livesey based in Trafford Park, is filmed finding out how the money raised by The Christie charity allows facilities such as the new £26m cancer centre in Macclesfield to be built. Staff at PJ Livesey did some innovative fundraising during COVID-19 to help raise funds to support their colleague Ralph who was undergoing cancer treatment at the time. Sadly, Ralph passed away during the summer.

Pictured - Brigid Watson