Morecambe family’s charity walk shines a light on dad

A total of 21 members of the same Morecambe family came together to raise £1,665 for Rosemere Cancer Foundation by walking the five mile length of Blackpool Illuminations to shine a light on their togetherness in their support of family patriarch Graham Storey.
By Gayle Rouncivell
Published 14th Oct 2022, 11:44 BST
Updated 14th Oct 2022, 11:44 BST
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Retired diesel fitter and bus driver Graham is currently battling a rare form of cancer called angiosarcoma, which is a cancer that forms in the lining of the blood vessels and lymph vessels.

Graham was given his diagnosis – his second encounter with cancer - just before last Christmas. Since then, he has undergone gruelling chemotherapy, 22 sessions of radiotherapy and is just about to start more chemotherapy.

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A dad of five daughters, Graham was previously diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014, which he overcame.

The Lawton family celebrate arriving back at Sharples Hall after a blustery and sometimes wet walk along the prom.The Lawton family celebrate arriving back at Sharples Hall after a blustery and sometimes wet walk along the prom.
The Lawton family celebrate arriving back at Sharples Hall after a blustery and sometimes wet walk along the prom.

Daughter Helen Baron said: “Dad’s angiosarcoma is a new cancer, totally separate from anything to do with his prostate cancer. It came as a big shock to dad and the family.

“Dad has had much of his treatment at Rosemere Cancer Centre so we wanted to give something back in thanks for the care, compassion and empathy shown by the staff involved in looking after dad and for the incredible work they do. We also wanted to show dad that as a family, we are all there to support him.”

Walking alongside Helen on the promenade were her sisters Andrea, Tina and Carole, plus their partners, children, two aunts and cousins.

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Their other sister Nicola now lives in Sheffield. Although Nicola was unable to join them on the night she had previously run a sponsored 10k in her new home city to add to the family funds raised via its online Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Amy-Lawton9

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Rosemere Cancer Foundation holds its Walk the Lights event annually every October. This year’s walk was raising money for its £1.3m silver jubilee Guiding Light Appeal.

The appeal is set to bring SGRT – surface guided radiotherapy treatment – to Rosemere Cancer Centre, which is Lancashire and south Cumbria’s specialist cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at the Royal Preston Hospital next month

The centre undertakes all radiotherapy for the whole of Lancashire and south Cumbria so treats approximately 240 patients a day five days a week. Of these patients, one in every five is from the Morecambe Bay area.

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SGRT, which uses a beam guiding near infra-red light system, will benefit every one of them and all future radiotherapy patients. Its arrival means Rosemere Cancer Centre will become just the 15th out of the UK’s 65 specialist cancer centres to provide SGRT and only the second in the whole north west region.

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and south Cumbria being treated not only at Rosemere Cancer Centre but also at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties, including that at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

The charity funds cutting-edge equipment like SGRT, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients’ cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free. For further information on its work, including how to make a donation, visit www.rosemere.org.uk

Related topics:MorecambeBlackpool Illuminations