Press Release - 17th September 2001
£185,000 for Christie's in memeory of Jill
Photo: Dr Nick Francis (far left) presented his cheque to Adult Leukaemia Unit consultants (left to right) Dr Catherine Williams, Dr Godfrey Morgenstern, Unit Director Dr Raj Chopra and Dr James Chang. A final donation of £18,000 brings to
£185,000 the total given to The Christie from a charity set up
by Chapel-en-le-Frith GP Dr Nick Francis in memory of his wife, Jill.
The latest money will buy equipment for a central monitoring area
being created in the hospital's Adult Leukaemia Unit (ALU) where Jill
was treated for the last six months of her life. She died from leukaemia
in 1988, leaving three children aged six to 13.
"Nick and his colleagues have given magnificent support to the
ALU for more than ten years," said Unit Director Dr Raj Chopra.
"Leukaemia patients, especially those who have bone marrow transplants,
need very intensive care. A special high dependency, central monitoring
area in the ALU will be of huge benefit to the patients and staff."
The Jill Francis Memorial Fund was started when Nick and a group
of friends, including fellow Goyt Valley Round Tablers, cycled from
Lands End to John O Groats with the aim of raising £50,000 to finance
a new post of specialist ALU community liaison nurse for two years.
They actually raised £110,000, financing Sister Sian Burley's post
for six years before the funding was
taken over by Christie's five years ago. In 1998 a further £10,000
was given to the ALU, this time for equipment, yet the Fund continued
to attract donations.
"People have been amazingly generous," said Nick. "A
great many of my patients in and around Chapel-en-le-Frith have
made donations large and small. Local businesses have also been
very supportive and those directly connected with the charity have
given their services free. Thanks to their expertise, the fund has
gained maximum financial benefit.
"We are particularly proud to have been so closely involved
in the creation of Sian's post. We are so pleased to see the success
that she has made of the role and know that her work continues to
be appreciated enormously by all the patients and their carers.
"We thank very much all who have supported our fund. The amount
raised and the good that it has done is a wonderful tribute to a
wonderful person," added Nick.
His elder daughter Clare, 26, is now a journalist working in London;
his son Jonathon, 24, is a junior doctor in Chesterfield and his
younger daughter Ruth, 19, is doing a nursing degree in Nottingham.
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The Christie in Manchester is one of the leading cancer centres in Europe - registering around 12,500 new patients and treating about 40,000 patients every year.
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