A Shildon man is rallying people across the North East to Stand Up To Cancer this October. Liam Johnson, age 25 from Shildon, who has survived leukaemia, is playing a starring role on the 2013 Stand Up To Cancer website.
Liam hopes seeing his picture and reading about his experience will motivate people to raise funds for ground-breaking research.
Last year, Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 joined forces to launch ‘Stand Up To Cancer’ for the first time in the UK, and raised a staggering £8 million.
Liam is now encouraging people of all ages to literally stand up and get sponsored, on Friday 18th October.
Fundraisers can register for a free fundraising kit and then choose exactly how, when and where they make their stand.
They might opt for endurance standing, by staying upright for the full 24-hours, or extreme standing by choosing a weird and wonderful location – like a bath of baked beans or the top of Ben Nevis.
Alternatively, they could rise to the occasion by going for fancy footwear and swapping stilettos for flippers in the office.
Liam, who lived in Fulton Court, was diagnosed with leukaemia at 15.
When he became ill, he faced real difficulties with being diagnosed, but Liam’s mum persevered and refused to leave the GP’s surgery without blood tests being run. Just hours later, Liam was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). He was rushed into Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, where doctors claimed he was weeks away from death without immediate treatment. Liam began an intense 12 months of chemotherapy treatment which left him unable to walk, and he remained on crutches until he was 18.
Following his cancer battle, Liam pursued his dream of working in television and successfully sat A levels before gaining a Masters Degree. Liam now works for ITV in Manchester and has just won a Best Director award for a short film he has made.
Liam said, “I was one of the lucky ones. Leukaemia is now a form of cancer that is no longer the death sentence it was even a decade ago, and that is due to research and why funding further research and clinical trials will go on to save countless lives, and end suffering that really need not happen. A cancer survivor is not proof that the battle with cancer is over; it merely shows that we are winning.
“Sadly, however, not everyone survives. That’s why I’m calling on everyone in the North East to Stand Up To Cancer in October. We need to keep funding this type of research so we can kick this dreadful disease into touch.”
Paul Wadsworth, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson for the North East, said, “We need everyone to stand up and be counted on Friday, October 18th. Thanks to research, more people are surviving cancer than ever before.
But there’s still so much more to do. It’s not technology or knowledge that is holding back our fight against cancer – it’s funding.
“You can make your stand as easy or challenging as you like. It’s a great opportunity to indulge your imagination or test your stamina. However you plan your stand, the key thing is to have fun and join the day of mass action to strike at the core of cancer.”
There are lots of ways to get involved and Stand Up To Cancer.
A free fundraising kit is available with great ideas on how to raise money at home or at work.
People can pop into their local Cancer Research UK shop to purchase funky pin badges for £1 each and wristbands – in four different colours – for just 99p.
A wide range of stylish clothing and accessories, including t-shirts, are also available online at standuptocancer.org.uk.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
