I was delighted to return to sing for the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and their Charity Carol Concert this year. The concert was a festive celebration of music, art and poetry for their 'landmark' 60th anniversary year - Congratulations to everyone involved and thank you for all you do!!
This year my Mum, Sue, began receiving palliative care for incurable stage 4 lung cancer - she is receiving amazing care from Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and Whiston Hospital. This comes just a few years after my Dad George also received eight years of cancer treatments for Multiple Myeloma blood cancer at Royal Liverpool Hospital and also through the Clatterbridge Cancer Center. It really means the world to me to be able to sing for the charity again and support the amazing work they do.
It's been a heartbreaking time since my Mum received her diagnosis in August - she is an amazing lady, my inspiration and best friend! We know, more than ever, that every day we spend together is the greatest blessing - and that sharing music and celebrating special occasions like this one will bring us so much joy and hope through the hardest times ahead.
More than 200 people attended the event at Thornton Manor, hosted by Angela Samata. I was thrilled to sing with The Luminelles and Over The Water choirs, conducted by Matt Lammin. Wirral-based photographer and performing artist Mike McCartney read Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem by Maya Angelou and poet Mandy Coe shared some of her wonderful work; embracing the themes of joy, love and laughter. Professor Dan Palmer, medical oncologist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, addressed the audience and expressed the importance of research in the future of cancer treatment and patient Becky Brothwood spoke so beautifully to everyone about her own cancer treatment.
After the concert there was a brilliant exhibition of artwork and photography by Mike McCartney, acclaimed sculptor Emma Rodgers - works from De Lacy Fine Art, Wirral Grammar School for Girls and Prof Arthur Sun Myint, who is a medical oncologist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, it was so lovely to meet everyone. I also found it really inspiring to hear Dr Liz Bishop, Chief Executive of Clatterbridge CC, speak about the future of the Centre and how much this will help cancer patients in the future.
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s leading cancer centres providing highly specialist cancer care to a population of 2.3m people across Cheshire, Merseyside and the surrounding areas including the Isle of Man. Based in Wirral, Merseyside; treatment is also supported by a £17m radiotherapy centre in Aintree, Liverpool. They also operate specialist chemotherapy clinics in seven of Merseyside’s district hospitals and deliver a pioneering Treatment at Home service. This enables them to provide a comprehensive range of inpatient care, advanced radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other systemic anti-cancer therapies (i.e. medicines) including gene therapies and immunotherapies.
The Clatterbridge Cancer Charity is the only dedicated charity for patients and research at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. The Charity helps to improve patient experience, fund vital research into the latest therapies and innovations in cancer treatment. They are embarking on a journey to change cancer care for the better, by expanding services in the heart of the population with the further ground-breaking research and therapies they undertake. In the next few years they are building Liverpool's first cancer hospital in the heart of the city, backed by the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity’s £15m appeal! Find out more about the charity here; https://www.clatterbridgecc.nhs.uk/charity/home
What a beautiful night it was! Merry Christmas and heartfelt thanks to the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre for the wonderful work they do.