Meet Team Gill!  

We are made up of friends and family of Gillian Crawford who is currently under palliative care for Cancer of the Appendix. 

Our first fundraiser for Bowel Cancer UK involves us all (Including Gillian) running Edinburgh Marathon in some form on Sunday May the 28th. Craig (Husband)  & Fraser (Son) are running the full marathon, the other 16 make up 4 teams of 4 running a relay over the 26.2 mile route with varying distances of 8.3 miles, 5.5, 8 & 4.4.

Below is a "brief" journey of Gillian's journey in the last year:-

• February - After seeing her GP regarding a large lump in her abdomen, bloods showed high cancer markers.
• 27th April - After an initial cancellation, operation took place with a hysterectomy, appendix removal and a 20cm tumour from her abdomen. Cancer of the appendix was diagnosed.
• While in hospital was rushed back into theatre with internal bleeding.
• 3 weeks later was taken back into hospital with suspected sepsis.
• Finally 6 sessions of Chemotherapy to place every 2 weeks between July & September.
• 2 October 2021 married Craig.
• 10 November admitted for preparation for HIPEC surgery to take place on the 11th November.
• 11 November at 9am, Gillian was advised that due to a shortage of ICU beds, her operation could not go ahead.
• Gillian was told that they would re-schedule a week later. The next day was told this could not happen due to availability of the required team.
• A new date of the 6th December was given, only to receive a call on the 4th that again it had been cancelled due to a shortage of ICU beds.
• An offer of travelling 266 miles to Manchester was made as advised there was never any guarantees that NHS Tayside could have an ICU bed available.
• After a press and social media campaign over the weekend, miraculously Gillian received a call on Wednesday the 8th asking her to come through immediately as ICU beds had become available.
• Unfortunately when Gillian was opened up, the Cancer had spread too much across her abdomen, further across her bowel and into her stomach and liver to enable the surgeon to carry out the operation and she was closed back up.
• Gillian is now under Palliative Care and began Chemotherapy again on the the 5th January 2022. She still awaits biopsy/ histology and scan results.

During the time above, in excess of £8,500 was raised for Macmillan and so it was decided that in 2022 we would concentrate on another worthy Charity. Therefore we would delighted to receive any support possible for Bowel Cancer UK. (See below a small bio below.)

We’re the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We fund targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care. We’re here to stop people dying of bowel cancer.