A West Bromwich couple whose lives have been blighted by cancer are urging people to get checked out if they suspect they have symptoms of the disease.
Marjorie and Kenneth Davies have both battled cancer and lost loved ones, but remain positive and have raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity. Mr Davies, aged 79, is currently living with prostate cancer, after overcoming the disease in his bowel and lungs, whilst Mrs Davies fought breast cancer in 1994. The couple were both treated at Sandwell Hospital over the years and have regularly raised money for cancer services through Your Trust Charity, the registered charity for the hospital.
“I would urge people out there to seek help from their GP if they have any of the symptoms of cancer,” said Mrs Davies, aged 83. “The healthcare professionals are there to look after us, and they have always been there for my husband and I throughout our ordeal.
“The care we’ve received is second to none, and my husband is still receiving treatment. It is important that people remember cancer care is still going on throughout this pandemic.”
Mrs Davies watched her mother die in 1955 of cancer. She recalled: “At the time there was no treatment at all, apart from morphine to help ease the pain. I had the same in again 1988 with my father, who used to be a miner. The combination of many years of inhaling coal dust and his cancer diagnosis eventually killed him. In 1994 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and thought ‘that’s it’. I said to my husband ‘if he is going to take me, he’s got a fight on his hands’.
“After my operation and a month of radiotherapy I returned to work within four months. The help and treatment I received was fantastic. All was going well until 2007, when my husband received a bowel screening test through the post. The result came back positive and within seven days he had undergone an operation.
“Four years later in 2011 he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had chemotherapy and part of his right lung removed.”
Despite her husband’s prostate diagnosis in 2013, the couple remain strong: “I just want to stress to everyone that over the last 13 years, we have fought this together and have given each other strength and the willpower to remain positive. However, the main backbone was the fantastic treatment and help we both received from the doctors and nurses at Sandwell Hospital and the Macmillan staff - everything was first class.
“We cannot stress enough to people who receive a bowel screen test through the post, Please do it, it has saved my husband’s life.”
Mrs Davies added: “I feel through fundraising I am giving something back to all those who have helped us. I’ve sold many items and donated the funds to the charity whilst my friend has knitted baby clothes which are on sale in the Courtyard Gardens shop at Sandwell Hospital main reception.
“I’ve been so pleased to be able to raise money for such a worthwhile cause.”
Jenny Donovan, Cancer Services Manager, said: “Mr and Mrs Davies are a very special couple who have found strength in each other to fight their cancer diagnoses. Their story is a positive one about being aware of symptoms and acting quickly if you think something is wrong. Cancer treatments have come a long way since Mrs Davies sadly lost her mum back in the 1950s, so people should not turn a blind eye in the fear of a positive diagnosis. There is much we can do to help.
“By raising money for Your Trust Charity, Mr and Mrs Davies are doing something very special for their community, as the funds raised will go back into providing a better patient experience for patients on their own cancer journey. Our heartfelt thanks go out to them for their generosity.”
