Awareness is the key after shock diagnosis of Redditch man - The Redditch Standard

Awareness is the key after shock diagnosis of Redditch man

Redditch Editorial 24th Mar, 2017   0

A YOUNG woman from Redditch is fighting hard to raise awareness of the risks of bowel cancer in young people following her fiance’s shocking diagnosis earlier this month.

Claire Vipond is spreading the message and encouraging anyone concerned about their stomach troubles to seek help from the doctor after her 25-year-old partner George Hands was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his bowel.

After 12 months of going backwards and forward to the doctor’s with bowel issues, George was continually told it was nothing serious and dismissed when he asked questions about Crohn’s and cancer because of his age.

George was eventually admitted to hospital at the beginning of March where doctors found a large tumour blocking his bowel and Claire is now spreading the word to younger people to be vigilant.




“Age is just a number. It’s so important for younger people to realise it could affect them too,” said Claire.

“Just because of your age, you should never brush off your concerns – you know your own body, so make sure the health professionals take your concerns seriously. It could make a huge difference to your health.”


Claire set up a justgiving page on Monday (March 20) in a bid to spread the word about bowel cancer and raise money for the charity and in just a few days has already raised more than £2,000 for Bowel Cancer UK.

“We are heartbroken by George’s situation but we are staying positive as a team and as a family, and we know he will smash this,” added 24 year-old Claire.

“We want to thank everyone for their support so far. You don’t realise how much you are loved and thought about until you get into a bad situation.”

The team behind George are busy organising fundraising events to be held over the coming months, the first of which is a teddy bear’s picnic at Arrow Valley Lake on April 23. It costs £1 to enter and parents and youngsters are invited to get sponsored to complete the walk with the favourite toys.

Call Lisa Montgomery on 07927 209860 to book a place.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/me8f9et to show support to George and Claire.

YouTube

Check out the latest videos on our YouTube channel.

Reader Travel

Check out all of the latest reader travel offers to get your hands on some free gifts.

Podcasts

Now, every week, you can also listen to a roundup of Redditch Standard Local News.

Advertising

Advertise with the Redditch Standard to reach your audience