A brighter future
After experiencing the effects of cancer first-hand, Vic and Babs decided to pledge a gift to Cancer Research UK in their Wills
Life hasn’t always been easy for Vic and Babs. When they met, the pair had both lost their spouses to cancer, and Vic had also been diagnosed with the disease twice himself. After marrying in 2013, their shared experiences motivated them to become committed supporters of Cancer Research UK. They have even pledged gifts in their Wills – a life-saving legacy to help beat cancer for future generations.
“For many people, the word ‘cancer’ still has that dread factor,” says Babs. “When my late husband was ill, I used to pray that someone would find the missing piece of the puzzle to cure him. The more money that Cancer Research UK receives from legacies, the more research they can do to find those missing puzzle pieces and save lives. These days, there are so many brilliant new treatments, and it’s so exciting to play a part in furthering that research.”
Making a difference
One in two people in the UK born after 1960 will get cancer in their lifetime¹. But survival in the UK has doubled in the last 40 years, and this is thanks, in part, to scientific advancements. Vic knows all too well the power these advancements can have, having undergone radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer, and later receiving treatment for basal cell skin cancer on his face and scalp. Cancer Research UK played a key role in the development of radiotherapy, and has made vital contributions to finding new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat skin cancer.
Vic’s experience, coupled with the loss of his late wife to bowel cancer, prompted Vic to pledge a gift in his Will to Cancer Research UK. “Being invited on lab tours and seeing the research is very motivational,” he says. “It’s so exciting to hear about new initiatives, such as the potential of a ‘breath test’ to detect cancer. It feels like there’s so much happening in the field and I hope for a day when no one has to fear cancer.”
Gifts in Wills enable Cancer Research UK to plan long-term research projects, which will lead to new treatments that will help beat cancer for future generations.