Around 31,000 people are diagnosed with cancer and around 14,100 people die from cancer each year in Yorkshire and the Humber. This is why research into finding new, better and kinder treatments, as well as improved tests, is vital in order to improve the outlook for people with cancer, and research requires funding.

Many research projects across the UK, such as those carried out at The University of Leeds, benefit from the generosity of people leaving a gift to Cancer Research UK in their Will.   

Mike from Darlington has seen just how devastating cancer can be. Now, he’s pledged to help fund life-saving research by leaving a gift in his Will to Cancer Research UK. 

In 2008, Mike’s wife Mary sadly died from cancer after a short but painful illness. Mike said, “she went from being very fit, active and well to being dead in less than three months despite all the efforts of the medical team treating her with chemo and radio therapy.” 

Mary had worked in nursing and community health care for 45 years, helping and looking after others, and she passed away just seven months after retiring, when Mike and Mary were planning to travel and enjoy time together after so many busy years. They had been married for 42 years.

Mary was diagnosed after she had a cramp in her thigh. A physiotherapist asked for an X-ray and then the couple had a call saying that Mary would need a scan followed by biopsies. Doctors confirmed it was sarcoma and put in place a plan of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. Sadly, Mary died before the surgery could be carried out.  

Mike says, “Mary received the best treatment available at the time at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care in Newcastle, and she always believed that she would overcome her illness. 

Towards the end of January, I visited Mary in hospital one afternoon and took her some of the first snowdrops from our garden. She died that evening.”

York Press:

Since losing Mary to cancer, Mike has continued to raise money for Cancer Research UK through fundraising and gives regular speeches. Mike has also become a legacy pledger and will leave a gift in his Will to Cancer Research UK.

Gifts in Wills fund over a third of our life-saving research. Every pledge today helps secure life-saving research for tomorrow.

To find out more, get your free Gifts in Wills guide here cruk.org/pledgeyorkshire

Play your part. And together we will beat cancer 

*Based on the average annual number of new cases of all cancers combined excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (ICD10 C00-C97 excl.C44) in Yorkshire and the Humber in England between 2015 and 2017.

**Based on the average annual number of deaths from all cancers combined excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (ICD10 C00-C97 excl.C44) in Yorkshire and the Humber in England between 2015 and 2017.

Source: This data was extracted from the Public Health England’s Cancer Analysis System, snapshot CAS1902. Accessed 09/08/2021. This work is only possible because of data from the cancer registry, which is routinely collected by the NHS as part of patient care.