Sunday 2nd
April 2017
The BCW Grand Tour- Survivor and Surgeon take to supercars!
A fantastic collection of supercars will be driving a crucial message from Lands-End to Bristol for a super cause.
The tour will be visiting a series of hospitals across the region to meet with bowel cancer patients and hospital staff including- Derriford (Plymouth), Royal Cornwall (Truro), North Devon, Torbay, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Yeovil, Musgrove (Taunton), RD&E (Exeter). They will also be stopping at famous west country landmarks to fly the BCW banner on route.
Departing from the Plymouth Hoe on Sunday 2nd April at 11:00am, the team would love for you to come and wave them off!
Spearheading the tour is local bowel cancer survivor Roger Stone and the surgeon who operated on him, BCW chairman Mark Coleman.
Mr Stone said:
“I’m so grateful to Mark for saving my life and delighted I can do this tour with him. He’d said to me recently that if it’d ignored my symptoms another few weeks, I probably wouldn’t be here today. The work this charity does to raise awareness is so important and I’m delighted we can combine our visit to the hospitals to help lift patients spirits and let them know there is good local charity out there trying to make a difference.”
Each year, around 40,000 men and women are diagnosed with bowel cancer. It is the UK’s second biggest cause of death through cancer, largely because too many people either aren’t aware of the symptoms, will ignore them or remain too shy to seek advice.
Apart from being one of the best places in the UK to receive treatment, the west country is particularly at risk (according to a recent survey) with 9 out of 10 people admitting their knowledge is ‘average’ or ‘poor’.
Surgeon Mark Coleman said:
“It will be great fun driving these incredible cars but there is a very serious message we are trying to get a to people that bowel cancer be cured in over 90% of cases if caught early. During our tour, we will be passing life-saving advice for anyone experiencing irregular bowel habits, bleeding from the bottom or abdominal pain or bloating to visit their GP. Likewise, anyone over the age of 60 who receives a free NHS test in the post, must not ignore this.”
Through generous donations from the public the charity is looking to save more lives like Roger by raising awareness as well as committing to local research and extended training for GPs and nurses. To explore how you can support them, please contact info@bowelcancerwest.com
