jennifer morton
In memory of Jim Addison
Fundraising for Pancreatic Cancer UK
Story
My husband, Jim Addison, died of pancreatic cancer on 10th February 2013. While Jim is now lounging on Cloud Nine, he's left it to the rest of us to slave away and meet his fund-raising target of £100,000... and that's why instead of sauntering round to a local restaurant, I now have to climb Kilimanjaro. Jim set the crazily high target of £100,000 when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given "weeks" to live. Pancreatic cancer is the most fatal form of cancer in the UK with only 4% of patients surviving for five years or more. UK survival rates have barely changed in over 40 years.
In just four months Jim raised over £40,000 for Pancreatic Cancer UK. Ex-colleagues won't be surprised to learn that he was promoting his appeal from his hospital bed until three days before he died. He even wanted me to take a picture of him wearing his oxygen mask to attach to his begging emails for an even more lucrative sympathy vote! Yes, Jim approached his death with his usual determination and humour. By the way, you can watch Jim's first – and last – videoblog about his appeal below.
Jim's target of £100,000 is ambitious but I'm determined that, along with family and friends, we'll get there. The reason UK survival rates are so dire – and that we lag behind many other countries in Europe, as well as the US, Canada and Australia – is because research is severely under-funded. Pancreatic cancer receives less than 1% of overall research funding for cancer in the UK despite being the fifth most common cause of cancer death in men.
Pancreatic Cancer UK is desperate for more money to spend on research into screening and treatment... and that's where you come in! All money raised will go to Pancreatic Cancer UK's Future Leaders Fund, set up to attract the best young minds into pancreatic cancer research. Research, of course, doesn't come cheap. It costs £100k to support a Future Research Leader for one year. But the great news is that the Medical Research Council is matching donations so the total we raise will be doubled. As Jim joked, it was the best
'2-4-1 promotion' of his sales promotion/publishing career.
'2-4-1 promotion' of his sales promotion/publishing career.
If anyone wants to join me climbing Kilimanjaro, let me know. Incidentally, when Jim was fund-raising he always claimed he was too sick to do a sponsored walk or sit in a bath of cold baked beans. Of course, as we all know, he never did those things when he was well...