In becoming a volunteer it felt like I'd turned a massive corner in my life - Shaun Dingsdale

Shaun Dingsdale, Christie volunteer, patient and fundraiser

Shaun Dingsdale

Last summer I started working as a volunteer in the May Draper tea bar at The Christie. My first day as an official volunteer was such a proud moment for me, and I feel the same way every time I turn up to do my voluntary work.

In becoming a volunteer it felt like I'd turned a massive corner in my life. Because it wasn’t so long ago that I’d been coming to The Christie for care and treatment, and was feeling like I was at rock bottom.

Now I was helping out in the tea bar and able to listen to and help the patients who were in the same position that I once was.

Six years earlier, back in 2010 at the age of 39, I had found a lump in my right groin which I thought was a hernia. After several appointments with different doctors I still didn’t know what the problem was. I was then sent for a biopsy at Leigh hospital and the results showed I had cancer.

I was told by the surgeon that the cancer I had was Hodgkins Lymphoma and that I’d need to go to The Christie to have treatment to get rid of it.

I came to The Christie in July 2010. My doctor, Professor Radford told me that I actually had Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, which is a lot worse and more aggressive than Hodgkins Lymphoma.

He also told me that if I hadn't come to The Christie to get this treated, then the cancer would have killed me within six months.

I was treated straight away with a combination of four chemotherapy drugs or ‘CHOP’ for short, and I had the option to take a trial chemotherapy called campath, which I did.

The chemotherapy did its job. But because Non Hodgkins Lymphoma is an aggressive cancer and there is a high chance of it coming back, I was told that it would be a good option to have a stem cell transplant to minimise the risk of the cancer coming back and to kill off any remaining cancer cells.

So in 2011 I had the stem cell transplant, where I spent 27 days in The Christie hospital for the treatment.

The stem cell transplant went really well, but it left me feeling very weak. It also left me not being able to keep any food or drink down whatsoever.

Because I couldn't keep anything down I lost a lot of weight. I went down to five and a half stone and was so weak that I was stuck in bed for around six months.

I wasn't able to do anything by myself. I couldn’t get to the bathroom because I’d lost all the strength in my legs. I couldn't dress myself. I couldn't even feed myself without the help of my wife and three kids.

Every single bit of energy had vanished from my body. To put weight back on I was told about a drink called 40sip, which would give me all the nutrients I’d need to start putting weight back on. Luckily those little drinks stayed down and I started to build my strength up.

My strength returned slowly. I was able to sit in a wheelchair and be pushed by my wife, just to get out and about and see the world again. 

My positive mental attitude then kicked in which made me want to get up and try to start walking. Learning how to walk again was really hard, but I did what I knew I'd have to do to reach that goal.

Once I had reached a half decent level of fitness I wanted to repay The Christie for saving my life. Just saying thank you in person to all the doctors and nurses I saw felt good, but to me that wasn't good enough. I wanted to show them how much I appreciated what they did for me.

So in 2015 I took part in two bike rides with my daughter to raise money for The Christie. Giving back was a good feeling, but I knew it was just the beginning and that my fundraising could be even bigger and better.

In 2016 I raised even more for The Christie. And even though The Christie was more than happy with what I’d achieved so far I still felt like I hadn't done enough. I still wanted to give something back that would make me feel on top of the world.

So I volunteered to do a bucket collection at a Christie event in Bolton, and that gave me the bug to do more voluntary work. That was when I was asked if I’d like to help in the May Draper tea bar at The Christie.

I felt so proud to be working there and it showed just how far I’d come since first being diagnosed with cancer.

Shaun in the tea bar

Becoming a volunteer is so rewarding. And The Christie makes a special effort to thank the voluntary workers, telling us how important our contribution is and how it helps the hospital. When I hear what all the many volunteers have achieved, it makes me feel good and proud of my efforts. Trust me - this is a feeling that's on a par with being told you are cancer free!

I can't thank The Christie enough for what they've done for me, but one thing I do know is that as long as I’m still around, The Christie will always have a willing volunteer and fundraiser.

I can't wait to get stuck into fundraising in 2017 and will hopefully raise even more than last year. When I stand at the top of Snowdon in June this year I'm going to dedicate it to my family and to everyone who works at The Christie for getting me where I am today.

I just want finish by saying a massive thank you to The Christie for saving my life and for letting me do what I do for them. I support The Christie in any way I can including supporting their campaigns. I’m proud to be supporting the #ididitforthechristie campaign and urge everyone to ask their friends, family and colleagues “What will you do for The Christie this year?” 

All volunteers go through a robust recruitment, selection and screening process and the Trust ensures they are well placed, inducted, trained and supported throughout their volunteering. For further information please visit www.christie.nhs.uk/professionals/work-with-us/volunteers 

There are lots of ways to raise funds for The Christie, whether it be at work, with friends, on your own or in a group - every penny you raise makes a difference for our patients. Please visit www.christie.nhs.uk/the-christie-charity/get-involved/fundraise/ for further information.

As I walk into the hospital as an art room volunteer I feel the optimistic happy atmosphere - Lin Sinclair

Lin Sinclair, Christie art room volunteer

Lin Sinclair

A few years ago my mother came to The Christie to be treated for cancer for about six weeks. She had intensive radiotherapy virtually every day which made her very red and sore.

She told me the nurses used to put cream on her to ease the pain and rawness, and how gentle they were with her. The doctors were also marvellous with her and very sympathetic.

Mum had always said she was a coward, but she was the opposite, she was very courageous, she accepted what she had to go through, and got on with it. She was amazing.

I visited mum every day at The Christie, on my way home from work, which was 40 miles away. It was a really stressful time, but I knew she was in the safest place she could possibly be. I had total faith in The Christie.

As soon as I walked through the hospital entrance I felt calm and peaceful. This feeling has never changed, and carried on when I became a volunteer a few years later.

I think this feeling started from the initial consultation with the doctor. She said to mum “I think we can help you, and get rid of the cancer,” and I believed her.

Eventually mum's skin completely healed and the doctor told her she was cured. They actually used that word, the cancer had gone and they didn’t think it would come back. I couldn’t believe it. But they were right, it didn’t come back.

Before I retired, I had The Christie in the back of my mind, as a place I’d like to work as a volunteer.

I began by doing surveys about the patient experience at The Christie. This could be on the wards themselves or in different parts of the hospital.

I found it fascinating because patients wanted to talk. One teenage boy said to me that the nurses on his ward were more of a family to him than his own family. Even now, I cannot think about that without being extremely moved.

It’s like that through the whole hospital, everyone says the same thing. They all praise the amazing, dedicated, kind staff.

Eventually, I was told there was a vacancy in the art room for a volunteer. It appealed to me because my background is in art and design.

All Christie patients are able to go to the art room, regardless of whether they have any experience in painting or art. They are welcomed with open arms. You don’t need an appointment, you just turn up.

I did not know what to expect, but was stunned when I walked through the door at the high standard of the work.

The patients have an inspirational teacher, Pat, who is rated very highly by everyone in the art room. Her humour and encouragement soon puts everyone at ease, and they start painting and experimenting from the very first session.

Many of the paintings are exhibited on the walls of the hospital and some are for sale too at regular exhibitions. The sale of paintings helps to raise money for The Christie charity which funds the art room and many of the other extra services that the NHS can’t pay for at The Christie.

The art room exists for a very good reason. It’s to take the patient’s mind off their cancer for a few hours. This sounds simplistic but this is a highly complex situation that has a massive psychological effect.

People come to the art room at different stages of their cancer. Some have just been diagnosed, others are having treatment or have had treatment.

They are dealing with the diagnosis, the treatment, plus the effect it is having on their body and their mind. For many it can be overwhelming.

But when they have a paintbrush in their hand and a blank canvas in front of them, they are concentrating on the painting and not the cancer. They are creating something. It seems to change their mental state. They have a new goal and a new focus.

In some cases they are doing something they never thought they were capable of. The whole atmosphere of the room has a calming effect on their minds.

The men and women in the room are able to talk about their cancer to other people who are going through the same thing and share their feelings. They all know how they are feeling, because they have cancer too.

I had no conception of the devastating and complex effect cancer can have on the mental state of someone, regardless of the physical effects of the treatment.

Some people say it completely shatters their confidence. One person said to me that in the very first week of being in the art room her confidence came back. It had changed her life. It’s difficult to understand that, until someone tells you face to face.

There is an intimate, family atmosphere in the art room and friendships are formed and a lot of mutual support is given. There is a lot of humour and affection.

This is not professional art therapy, as the teacher Pat is clear to point out, it’s the actual act of painting that has a therapeutic effect.

My mum was a painter, but she did not go to the art room at The Christie, which I am sure she would have enjoyed.

This is no ordinary art class, it is extraordinary. It is full of humanity, warmth and hope.

When I walk into The Christie, I am always overwhelmed with the optimistic happy atmosphere. It has changed my life too.

Being filmed helped me voice my personal opinions about cancer services - Bex Smalley

Bex Smalley, Christie patient and patient representative 

Bex Smalley

2015 was a big year for me as I celebrated 10 years in remission. This made me stop and think. I wanted to give back more than my annual fundraising events. So I started looking online for a more hands on approach. I wanted to help more. 

I started off by volunteering for Macmillan, leaving reviews on books and leaflets all based around cancer but I was looking for something much more hands on. Then I received an email about an organisation called Manchester Cancer and who were involved in something called a Vanguard. When I read more about this I found out that one of the aims of the Vanguard was to improve cancer care though early diagnosis and prevention around the Manchester area. I immediately knew it was something I wanted to get involved in. 

Since getting involved, I’ve had a busy time. I have been involved in lots of meetings and was asked to be in a video they were doing to show at a big eye opening event. 

The Greater Manchester Cancer Vanguard event was something that I felt very privileged to be a part of. It is very much centred on making positive changes to cancer care in Greater Manchester. To be in a room full of medical experts, chief executives and other patients who felt like me was daunting at first, but every person there made me feel welcome and an equal. They kept saying that patients are at the heart of these new services. 

Before this event I had no idea of the hard work that was going on to try to improve the system. Listening to the consultants and specialists speak with such passion for change made me very hopeful for the future. 

Being filmed helped me to voice my personal opinions about cancer services and to share my own cancer experience. 

When I was 17 years old I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. By the time I reached The Christie I was informed that it was a stage 4 cancer (the most serious). My left lung had collapsed and I had 4 tumours. 

One of them they classed as ‘bulk’ which they explained to me meant that it was larger than 13 centimetres (if my memory serves me correctly). 

This had all happened because I wasn’t taken seriously by my GP. I had visited several times over the course of around 2 years, but wasn’t referred to The Christie until the end of that period. I believe that this delay meant I needed to go through aggressive chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. 

I cannot fault the efforts of The Christie, nor the treatment given to me at the time. However, I have since found out that they no longer use the chemotherapy I was given as they have found a less invasive version. But this is just a sign of how treatment is improving. A lot of chemotherapy leaves people with side effects that they will suffer with for the rest of their lives. A common one being infertility, which is something I was warned about numerous times. However, in 2013, against all odds, I managed to welcome my daughter, Georgie into the world. 

Although I was incredibly lucky to have my daughter, the problems I faced were all due to my late diagnosis. This along with better patient aftercare is very close to my heart. 

Surprisingly, I found that after my treatment was when I needed help the most. I’m very pleased that these are some of the issues that Manchester Cancer and The Vanguard want to improve, especially early diagnosis, as this is so important in the most important thing - survival!

Being involved in such a large movement is more than I could have hoped for just a year ago and I feel very privileged to be a small part of the changes being made. It also gives me a chance to give back to the hospital, people and charities that helped save my life. 
If we can galvanise the system through experiences like my own, it almost makes my late diagnosis worth it. 

The Board of The Christie is focused on making it a world leading centre for cancer care and research - Kathryn Riddle

Kathryn Riddle - Christie non-executive director

Kathryn Riddle

I joined The Christie Board as an interim non-executive in May 2014 and became a substantive member of the Board a year later. From the very first day I was hooked!

I have been involved with the NHS as a non-executive for over 20 years, but in all that time I have never been directly involved with a hospital and I am delighted to have put that right.

The Christie is a very special place and part of that is undoubtedly because it is a specialist hospital. In other roles I have visited many hospitals and noticed that specialist hospitals or units have unique cultures because of the very specialised nature of their work.

Having said that, The Christie is both unique and very very special.

What makes it so special?

The staff and the patients undoubtedly, but also the volunteers and the people from Manchester and the surrounding areas. If I get a taxi to The Christie, within minutes the taxi driver is telling me how wonderful the hospital is and "how lucky we are to have such a great place on our door step." I have never encountered that sort of praise and loyalty anywhere else!

One day I had lunch in the hospital dinning room and found myself chatting to the man opposite. We both thought the cheese pudding was excellent! He told me that he came to eat here once a week because his wife had been a patient at The Christie for several years and they had made friends and grown to love the place. Now that she was no longer here, being back at The Christie made him feel close to her and he liked to check that the food and general feeling of the place was just as good as it had been for his wife.

The Board of The Christie is impressive, vibrant and totally focused on making the organisation a world leading centre for cancer care and research,  where patients feel safe, comfortable and reassured that they are ‘in the best place '.

The Governors from different surrounding areas want the very best for the patients and are rightly proud and protective of The Christie’s name and reputation.

I have been part of some appointment panels for new staff and have been hugely impressed by the calibre of people being interviewed, not only for their clinical expertise, experience and backgrounds, but for their genuinely caring and compassionate natures. Values matter!

I spent one lunch time with the director of nursing and quality, seeing how protected meal times work and the careful choice of food and quantities all tailored to individual patients’ needs.

On another walk about with fellow non-executive directors and staff, we discovered that chemotherapy treatments are also tailor made for individual patients - an absolute revelation which made me realise that I have so much to learn.

I love the gardens at The Christie, alongside the glass corridor, which are beautiful to look at and full of patients, families and even some staff on sunny days!

The volunteers and Friends of The Christie are truly amazing in their dedication and their extraordinarily imaginative ways of raising money. Bike rides, runs, abseiling, coffee mornings and evening events of all kinds to say nothing of the culinary expertise (my kitchen cupboard is full of Jean's special preserves! Her bramble jelly is just fabulous!) Like other members of the Board I am a Trustee of The Christie charity and I have been so impressed by the generosity of people who want to support the hospital. Through legacies, donations, and imaginative fundraising, thousands of people contribute to the work of this wonderful institution, and every single donation whether it be large or small is very much valued and appreciated.

This is a truly remarkable place, made so special by the people who work here and the patients they serve. I am proud to be a part of it and I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year on The Board.