Belfast woman Andrea Fleming who was recently treated for cancer, organised a Macmillan Coffee Morning that raised an astonishing £6,000. Over 100 people attended the event in Andrea’s Belfast home with donations received from as far afield as America.
The funds raised from the coffee morning will be distributed to vital causes, including £2,000 donated to Cancer Services in the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust and an additional £2,000 donated to Macmillan Cancer Support, to help the invaluable work they do for cancer patients.
The coffee morning brought together friends, family and community members and despite facing personal health challenges, Andrea demonstrated her determination to give back to the organisations that have helped her cancer journey.
Delighted to raise an amazing amount from her coffee morning, Andrea said, “The whole community rallied around me and supported the coffee morning, it was incredible. When you are affected by cancer, you do not realise the care that is given to you. I wanted to give something back, so I arranged this coffee morning.”
Thanking Andrea for her generous donation, Macmillan Head and Neck Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist, Catherine Crymble added “Seeing Andrea and other patients overcome many obstacles during their journey continually inspires our team both personally and professionally. Andrea’s donation will make a huge difference to both Cancer Services in the South Eastern Trust and to Macmillan Cancer Support. It will help improve services for patients and will help further staff education.”
“By keeping ourselves aware of the most up-to-date research and education we hope to ultimately improve the experience of care for our patients.”
November is Mouth Cancer Awareness month and each year in Northern Ireland approximately 200 patients are diagnosed with Mouth Cancer.
Dentists are trained to screen for signs of Mouth Cancer and will do this as part of routine check-ups. Therefore, it is beneficial to attend dental appointments regularly, as this can help with early detection of Mouth Cancer.
As well as attending your Dentist, it is recommended that you look for Mouth Cancer. Self-examination is simple and potentially life-saving.
LOOK OUT FOR:
- Mouth ulcers which do not heal within three weeks
- Red and white patches in the mouth
- Unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth or neck area
If you are concerned about any of the symptoms listed, please contact your Dentist or GP.
