Thank you to everyone that has donated so far; we have been extremely overwhelmed by all of the support. Many of you that knew Caroline knew how loved she was by everyone; so it is no surprise that lots of us want to raise money in her honor!

Both of the upcoming events will raise money for Pancreatic Cancer UK. Kelly and Lisa (Caroline's daughters) will be taking part in the Great Birmingham Run in October 2018, they will be training hard for the next few months! In addition to this, Caroline’s son-in-law, Nick, has entered a UTC and Lionhearts White Collar Kickboxing Event in October. This is the first time he has ever been in the ring so it will involve 10 hard weeks of training and will undoubtedly be a challenge. Nick’s event will be held at the Premier Suite in Cannock in October. If you can all get behind and show him some support it would be greatly appreciated. It would be great to see you all there! He will be selling tickets to raise money in Caroline’s name for Pancreatic Cancer through this just giving page. 

Any donations for either event would be greatly appreciated. Please take the time to read the story below to find out why it is so important donate to this cause. Thanks again!

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Caroline was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in August 2016, she was brave and determined with her battle until the very end. From the very moment it started it was relentless, every trip cancelled, every other week back in hospital for a 2 or 3 week stay. Unfortunately she never got the chance to receive treatment and she passed away at home around her family at the age of 53, just 14 weeks after she was diagnosed. Throughout her battle she remained positive and strong, and even on the bad days, when she was unable to eat, walk or talk she wore her beautiful smile that we all loved so well. We are raising money in Caroline’s memory in the hope that this story becomes inconceivable in years to come and no other family has to live this tragedy.

It may help to put some of this into context and tell you why it is so important to donate to Pancreatic Cancer UK…

Caroline had been visiting her GP and on occasion the A&E department as she knew there was something wrong. She was sent away with Gaviscon, they refused investigations and on one occasion a consultant in A&E informed her “I can categorically tell you there is nothing wrong with your liver or your pancreas.” Unfortunately this statement was very inaccurate and only a few weeks later she found out that she had cancer in both. After the diagnosis, the prognosis seemed to change everyday and she was subject to care that, to quote the General Medical Council, “fell far below an acceptable standard.” This is where the problem lies. There is a lack of awareness of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer even among medical professionals, which is why it was not detected sooner. In addition to this, it is an under researched area and as of yet there are few efficacious treatments available. In fact, 80% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will not survive the year, whilst people diagnosed with other common cancers are twice as likely to receive life saving or life extending treatment.

Caroline spent most of her final weeks in hospital, even intensive care at one point when we were told to prepare for the worst. Unfortunately this is not just Caroline’s story, but the story of many. 7/10 cancer patients will not receive any kind of surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, resulting in pancreatic cancer having the lowest survival rate of all major cancers.

However, you have the potential to change the future for your loved ones. Every pound that Pancreatic Cancer UK invest in research opens up a further £7 of research funding. This means better diagnosis, better treatments and better outcomes for people that do not deserve such a tragic and untimely end to their lives. Please help us fight this together.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.