A BISPHAM man who was diagnosed with a rare cancer last December is standing up to the disease with his wife.
Ben Dickinson and wife Leanne, both aged 33, have joined forces and are supporting Stand Up To Cancer, a joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, to help save more lives, more quickly.
They are urging men, women and children to come together, show their support and join the rebellion against cancer.
Launched in the UK in 2012, Stand Up To Cancer has already raised more than £25million to fund translational research, which takes developments in the lab and transforms them into brand new tests and treatments for cancer patients.
Ben, who works for the Civil Service on a helpline team, knows only too well just how crucial new discoveries and breakthroughs are to help people like him survive.
He became poorly and was suffering from jaundice 12 months ago. Ben underwent lots of tests, including biopsies and having a camera placed in his stomach. He was admitted to hospital for a week due to pancreatitis. Suspicious looking cells were found in his stomach, but doctors suggested this could be due to a number of health problems..
Doctors remained puzzled by Ben’s ill health, but decided surgery was the best way forward. The surgeon warned Ben and Leanne that they were unsure on what they would find or how long and complex the surgery would be.
As Ben had suffered health problems as a teenager and already had his large bowel removed, nobody knew what state his small bowel was now in. Ben had a 13 hour operation which involved removing the gallbladder and part of his pancreas and bile duct.
He was in intensive care for a week and remained in hospital in Leeds until the new year.
In early December, Ben was diagnosed with bile duct cancer. However, the good news was that the cancer was at an early stage and had not spread from the bile duct into the surrounding lymph nodes meaning he did not need further treatment.
Ben, who is a devoted Liverpool FC fan, lost five stone in weight while ill. He started back at work on a phased return in April.
Despite having been so poorly, he remains positive.
He said: “The last 12 months have been really tough. My wife Leanne has been an absolute rock to me. Being in hospital in Leeds for such a long time and away from home wasn’t easy.
“But we are just so relieved to come through it all and are looking forward to the future.
“We want to encourage as many people as possible to join with us and stand up to this devastating disease.”
Leanne, who works for the Civil Service as an accountant, said: “I’m so grateful for the treatment that helped Ben and I’m so proud to support Stand Up To Cancer.”
Every hour, around four people are diagnosed with cancer in the North West. By joining Stand Up To Cancer, supporters in Blackpool will be uniting with doctors, nurses, scientists and celebrities to generate funds, raise awareness and help accelerateprogress in life-saving cancer research.
This year, there are many ways to Stand Up To Cancer and show support. Cancer Research UK is calling on everyone in the North West to take a stand and do something to help raise money at work, school or at home – from fancy dress days and sponsored silences to bake sales and open mic nights.
The charity is urging people to get started right now and sign up for their free fundraising pack which includes everything supporters need to spark creative ideas and help beat cancer sooner.
Jane Bullock, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson for Blackpool, said: “We’d like to thank Ben and Leanne for standing up to cancer with us.
“Ben’s experience brings home the fact that one in two of us will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in our lives. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. Whether it’s you or someone you know, it leaves its mark on us all.
“So the time to act is now. We’re on the brink of a revolution in cancer research – thanks to new treatments, screening and earlier diagnosis, more people are surviving the disease than ever before. But we can’t afford to stand still. It’s time to rebel against cancer, raise money and save lives. Research is our weapon against this terrible disease and we’re calling on an army of supporters to stand up to cancer and show their support.”
Stand Up To Cancer is supported by a host of celebrities including Davina McCall and Alan Carr. This year’s campaign culminates on Friday 21 October with a night of live TV on Channel 4 led by the brightest stars in film, TV and music.
People can also show their support for the campaign in style as a fun range of clothing and accessories for men, women and children is available online at standuptocancer.org.uk
The range includes special edition Henry Holland designed t-shirts (£9.99) hoodies (£25) pin badges (£1) wristbands (£0.99) digital watches (£2.49) and umbrellas (£2.99).
For more information and to get involved visit standuptocancer.org.uk
