Cancer survivor raises £6,000 for Sandwell General Hospital charity

Ronald Woodhall, aged 65, was diagnosed with stomach and oesophageal cancer in January last year after having trouble swallowing and experiencing rapid weight loss.

To say thank you for the care he received, he decided to raise money for the Upper Gastro-Intestinal (G.I.) Blues charity which is based at Sandwell Hospital and benefits patients.

Ronald, who also felt extreme tiredness and became more frail, said: "The care I received from the nurses and doctors has been amazing. Not only did I want to highlight this and say thank you by raising money for charity, but I also want to raise awareness of the symptoms of this type of cancer."

His problems began in late 2020 when he started to experience symptoms.

Ronald explained: "I sought help from my GP and got sent for blood tests, which strangely all came back normal. But I continued to experience the symptoms and knew something wasn’t right.

"It was at that point that I got sent for an endoscopy at Sandwell Hospital - the nurse found the cancer straight away and broke the news to me."

Ronald, from Kingstanding, was diagnosed during the pandemic, which made the experience even more daunting. Luckily the nurses from SWB NHS Trust and Macmillan were there for him every step of the way.

He added: "I had my operation in June the same year and was lucky enough to be discharged just 10 days after."

In September, with the help of his two friends, Marlene Chapman and Joy Marita Brookes, they started their fundraising journey a few weeks after Ronald got the all-clear.

He added: "After coming out of the other end, I knew I wanted to raise money towards helping those suffering with cancer. But I wanted to do it locally, as I’m all about making a difference where you live so I chose the Upper G.I. Blues organisation.

"My friends were hosting one of their regular events at the nearby community club and they said I could hold my charity raffle there. Since then, we’ve never looked back.

"The social event was a great way to celebrate my birthday and complete cancer remission, all whilst fundraising for a good cause. It was heart-warming to see local businesses donating prizes, which have included a range of things, including an afternoon tea, bouncy castle hires and even a driveway jet-wash."

He added: "I’m still weak and not 100 per cent better, even mentally, but I’m taking slow steps to recovery and to try to put the weight back on. The support I have received from my community, SWB and Macmillan is keeping me going.

Jo Harvey, the trust’s Lead Cancer Nurse, said: “Myself and the cancer services team would like to thank Ronald and his friends for their generosity. This is a huge amount of money that will be used towards improving cancer services and will benefit patients being treated at the trust.

“It’s so rewarding to see Ronald fit, well, and fundraising for the same department in which he was once a patient at."