The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Spreading a little happiness
Fiona Munro tells Caroline Lindsay how a diagnosis of ovarian cancer has made her more grateful than ever to be alive – and inspired her to give out random cash donations to strangers
Most people, diagnosed with an incurable cancer, could be forgiven for viewing the world as a place of sadness and cruelty.
Not Fiona Munro, 31, who has pledged to spend the remainder of her life delighting strangers with random acts of kindness in the hope that they will pass the happiness on to others.
Fiona, from Perthshire, was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer six months ago.
Following her diagnosis, one of her sisters, Pamela McAllister, organised a charity coffee morning to raise money for Target Ovarian Cancer as well as money for her husband Ewan to treat themselves following an operation.
“They raised £1,000, giving £500 to us,” she said. “However, we didn’t want to profit from my diagnosis – after all, there are millions of people suffering around the world.
“I remembered my favourite quote: ‘Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about, be kind always’ and it gave me an idea.”
Fiona has always been interested in the notion of random acts of kindness and at the time was reading an inspirational book entitled The Power of Kindness.
She decided to use the money to carry out random acts of kindness for complete strangers in the hope of creating a ripple effect.
“Together, we really can spread love around like glitter,” she says.
“I really just want to leave the world a better place than when I came into it.
“I completely underestimated how amazing it would feel to start handing out envelopes and the ripple effects that would emerge.”
The first recipients, in Tonic, Dundee, found Fiona online and got in touch. They shared her story and it’s since been featured in a number of newspapers and radio shows and is soon to be in a magazine article.
They have raised hundreds of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support in her name by doing a bungee jump and have also started handing out their own “random act of kindness” envelopes.
Stage four ovarian cancer is incurable and is instead managed, for as long as possible, through surgery, chemotherapy and in some hospitals, Avastin, a drug which prevents ovarian cancer cells from developing new blood vessels and spreading.
“It adds a potential nine to 12 months to the life of someone with late stage ovarian cancer,” explains Fiona.
“Unfortunately, it’s not available in all hospitals across the UK and I feel grateful every day to have access to this drug in Tayside. To date, my treatment has involved five rounds of chemotherapy and a major operation and I was in hospital for a total of six weeks. I have one more chemotherapy treatment left and hope sincerely this will be successful in putting my cancer into remission.”
So far, Fiona has handed out four more random act of kindness envelopes.
One went to a couple who live in the same village, another to a couple in a car park who gave her their parking ticket, a third went to a young couple in a cafe and the most recent to a man selling the Big Issue in Dundee.
“He didn’t open it, instead putting it securely in his pocket and thanking me over and over. It was wonderful as ever,” says Fiona. “I still have 20 envelopes to hand out and I’m excited to see what ripples they create.”
Fiona, her sister Pamela and some of her friends have now organised a masquerade ball at the Salutation Hotel in Perth on November 26.
“All profits from the event will go to Macmillan Tayside in thanks of their incredible support,” she adds.
“My Macmillan nurse Pamela Duthie has been amazing – we would be lost without her. More than 200 friends and family members are attending and I’m so excited for a fun night.
“They are organising a raffle and silent auction and are looking for local businesses to donate prizes to the event to help raise more money.”
The team is also looking for businesses to sponsor tables for £500.
All businesses that make donations will be publicly thanked by name across all of Macmillan Cancer Support’s national media channels.
In addition, Fiona is being filmed for a TV documentary to be aired in January and is keen to continue raising awareness about ovarian cancer.
“When I got diagnosed I said that if I can help even just one woman get diagnosed at an earlier stage then it’s all been worth it and this is still my primary aim,” she says.
“I also want to help people going through their own cancer journey.
“It always comes as a surprise to people but I am incredibly grateful for my cancer diagnosis.
“It’s opened me up to my life and what truly matters.” clindsay@thecourier.co.uk
I really just want to leave the world a better place than when I came into it