When Christine Bowyer-Sopp’s son was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she didn’t know where to turn for help.
And she’s now a long way along the path to ensuring no-one else is left in the same position.
Christine (56), of Hocklesgate, Fleet Hargate, has dedicated years to building a new charity to support those with cancer and their families and with a growing team of volunteers she is beginning to see her vision become reality.
She said: “When Sean got ill I just gave everything up and for two years after he died I just couldn’t function. I just couldn’t cope.
“In the beginning I just wanted to die. I just didn’t know what to do. Everything made me cry.”
Sean Chivers (33) was Christine’s only child. He was diagnosed with bowel cancer on January 11, 2011. An exploratory operation ended in a colon bypass but the cancer had already spread to other organs. Initially Sean was told he had six months to live but after a week of chemotherapy that prediction was reduced to days. He died on March 7, 2011, leaving a wife and two children aged four and nine.
Christine said: “When he was diagnosed I didn’t know anything about cancer but I knew his body wasn’t going to be able to cope with chemotherapy – he’d lost so much weight and was so thin and just had a huge operation. I was so angry with the NHS because I felt they’d failed Sean.”
Christine started researching alternative cancer treatment but couldn’t find anyone to talk to about it. When Sean died she continued her research and began a blog which generated a lot of interest. It was then she decided others could benefit from what she’d so wanted – someone to talk to about alternatives.
Help Stop Cancer launched in March last year and, after being made redundant, Christine has even begun a degree in business management to help her run it.
The charity, which has received £9,000 from the Big Lottery’s Awards For All, is now offering free complementary therapies to those with cancer and, importantly, their loved ones.
Christine said: “When a loved one is diagnosed you’re expected to get on with life as normal. My daughter-in-law had two children, two horses and a job and there was no help for her at all.
“It is just as stressful and traumatic for them especially if a loved one got a very bad prognosis. Even after you have lost someone to cancer we will support you because that trauma goes on for years, especially if you’ve lost a child.
“It’s very isolating, very lonely and very frightening.”
Help Stop Cancer provides information, sign-posting and support regarding alternative treatments, which people may decide to pursue through choice or if their illness is too advanced for conventional treatment.
It also provides information and support on integrated treatments – where someone decides to pursue something ‘alternative’ alongside conventional treatment, such as a special diet. Help Stop Cancer can help people access free juicers and organic vegetable supplies.
And Christine and her volunteers offer Reiki, a stress reduction and relaxation technique and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) which involves using the fingertips to tap ‘energy meridians’ that are situated just beneath the surface of the skin.
Christine said: “We don’t make any promises anyone can be helped. We like to think we are making people aware of their choices.
“We’re here to point people in the right direction, give them emotional support and even just be a shoulder to cry on.”
Julie Ewing, a volunteer complementary therapist, said: “A cup of tea and a talk is sometimes all that’s needed. That’s the first point of helping – a sympathetic ear.”
Ella Berry (23) and Sue Holdsworth (60) have just completed volunteer induction training to help expand the team and will be trained to deliver Reiki.
Help Stop Cancer meets 1pm to 3pm Tuesdays, at Moose Hall, Love Lane, and anyone is welcome to drop in. For more information contact Christine on 01406 423883 / 07818 627735 or email [email protected]
