News

13 October 2025

How you can take part and help spread the word too...

As a really small charity run almost entirely by volunteers, we’re really grateful to everyone in our local community who helps us to spread the word about ovarian cancer and its symptoms.

Here, one of our amazing supporters, Mike a retired engineer who lives in Garstang, tells us more about why he chooses to help our work and about a special event that’s coming up this November too…

My wife and soulmate, my dearest Chrissy, passed two years ago from cancer, just short of our 40th wedding anniversary. Nevertheless, in those 42 years together we lived life to the full, travelling and having adventures across the world that will live in my memory forever.

From a childhood in a small village in North Lancashire via various colleges and Liverpool Polytechnic, I found myself working on the Nuclear Power Stations at Heysham in 1978 and found love at first sight in 1981 when Chrissy came into my life. Married in 1984 we moved through life positively, always up for a challenge via work in Manchester, Knutsford, and Crewe. Chrissy found her true vocation working at Leighton Hospital in Crewe. Latterly I worked in Asia, at which time Chrissy was always up for the challenge of accompanying me to China, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia and Eire, plus regular travel abroad and at home.

I currently live quietly in Garstang, fill my time walking, writing articles for publication and endeavouring to live a worthwhile life, albeit without the one love of my life.

My challenge is to support the Dianne Oxberry Trust.

Why (and how) do you support our work?

Chrissy had an 18 month illness, undiagnosed for around six months.  She could not understand why two GP practices could not find the root cause and what was obviously a wrong diagnosis. In the end, and far too late, Chrissy told the GP to provide a CA125 test and we went private to have an ultrasound scan - both of which quickly identified the cancer.

Immediately on diagnosis, Chrissy wrote to her many friends to advise them and requested them to support the Diane Oxberry Trust - she had previously read about the charity and its aims.

Can you please tell us a little about the event you’re holding and why?

It will be afternoon tea at Calder Vale Methodist Chapel, on 15 November at 2.30pm.

As well as the Dianne Oxberry Trust being there to spread the word about ovarian cancer, at the event I will also tell the magical story of a 50 year friendship brought about with a message in a bottle thrown in the North Sea in 1973 by Chrissy…

What are you hoping the event will achieve?

Put simply - fundraising and awareness of the charity.

Why do you think the Dianne Oxberry Trust’s work to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer is important?

For the 18 months I was always alongside dearest Chrissy, many things were outstanding, many people were angels, but things went dramatically wrong when (I believe) a CA125 test would have identified the cancer many months earlier.

What would you say to others thinking of supporting the charity by either spreading the word about ovarian cancer symptoms or raising funds to help our work continue?

I have first-hand knowledge of the shortcomings of available diagnosis. Your only way to avoid a similar (but rare) chance this would happen to you is understand the symptoms, ask for tests to be done – and Spread the Word.

To book a place at the event or find out more, contact Edith on 01995 602 078.