New support for Hope as she fights cancer again
INTERNATIONAL support is growing for a former TRNC resident who is suffering from a second bout of rare cancer diagnosed just a week after her engagement.
TRNC-based friends of Hope Joy Stringer (pictured left), who has sarcoma, are pulling together to organise an event on Friday at The Soulist bar in Alsancak to show support for her treatment in the US.
The 27-year-old former Girne American College pupil made UK headlines after a GoFundMe campaign raised almost £92,000 in five days. The fund stood at £118,642 last night. Hope’s mother Tracy, who
founded Girne’s Stringer estate agency with husband Phil, announced on Thursday that Hope would travel to California tomorrow with her sister, Nancy, where she will have first have blood tests and scans to check her eligibility for experimental treatment.
Bayrak International Radio’s Denise Phillips and Can Gazi are organising Friday’s Hope for Hope event to support the campaign and will be holding an auction of goodies including an all-inclusive overnight stay, dinner for two and lunch for two with wine at the Hideaway Club in Edremit.
Wendy Anderson of the North Cyprus Cancer Charity Trust, who helped in the organisation, will be there with her team to help.
“Hope has many friends here and we want to show our support,” said Ms Phillips, whose children were schoolmates with Hope.
“It was initially Can’s idea after reading about it and he asked if we could do something.
“There will be a book where people can write their messages of support,” she said, adding that there would be live music from 9.30pm on the night, also the venue’s second anniversary.
“We are hoping for a great night and to raise awareness of fundraising needed for her treatment.”
The Soulist owner Alper Cengiz said: “We wanted to do all we could to help and are excited as it will be a more meaningful night. We will have an open stage featuring bands that have previously performed at The Soulist.”
Meanwhile support has snowballed in the UK, with a charity football match to take place tomorrow in Romford, in Hope’s home county of Essex, while a friend will be running the London marathon in April to raise money.
Hope was first diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma in 2014, aged 23, after demanding an MRI scan when doctors put her chronic headaches down to long days at the office. After operations, chemotherapy and countless sessions of radiotherapy she was in remission.
A week after her engagement to boyfriend Sean Pearce, she was told during a scan on December 10 that the sarcoma had returned and spread to her lungs and lymph nodes. Her sister launched a campaign to raise £700,000 for specialist treatment in the US when they were told the NHS was only able to offer more chemotherapy and no cure. Any extra funds raised will be donated to Sarcoma UK.
Nancy Stringer said: “I am so grateful for all the love and support that has been shown to my special sister.
“Without everyone helping us like this we wouldn’t have been able to get as far as we have. My family and I will be eternally grateful. This could happen to anyone so when people come together like this it really is something special. Hope is only 27 years old and should not be having to go through this, but with the love and support of you all she feels as though she could take on the world.”
HOPE For Hope starts at 7.30pm and entrance is 30TL, from which a donation will be made to the campaign — www.gofundme.com/4e4j8hopes-fund.