City hosts live show this week
THE family of a young mum who died after chemotherapy she believed had been working was delayed due to the Covid lockdown have launched a campaign for government action.
Kelly Smith, 31, died from bowel cancer on June 13 after three-and-a-half years living with the disease.
The mother-of-one told how she felt angry after her treatment, which she says was having positive results, was paused for 12 weeks at the start of the lockdown.
Now more than 178,000 people have signed a change.org petition set up by her parents Craig and Mandy Russell.
They are demanding cancer services are resumed to avoid other deaths.
The case of Kelly, from Macclesfield, was featured in a BBC Panorama programme this month.
She told her friend, and reporter, Deborah James, that during the time of the delay she believes her cancer had progressed too far.
Asked by Deborah, who has stage four bowel cancer herself, if she would be in such a position if Covid had never happened Kelly says: “I don’t think I would be in such a position.”
Kelly adds: “I’m angry, yes, that I got put on this break, because I don’t think I should have. I’m angry at Covid because its me that had this six week break. It’s me that has been put in this situation.”
Asked by a medical expert if she is worried about the future and worried about dying, she says: “Terrified. Absolutely terrified. I don’t want to die. I feel like I’ve so much more to do.”
Kelly was mum to sixyear-old Finn, and the programme shows footage from her funeral in which she had a pink, sparkly coffin.
While being treated, Kelly shared her experiences of bowel cancer as @kickasskell on Instagram. She also appeared on TV and radio to raise awareness that cancer can strike in people of all ages.
In their petition appeal, her parents say experts are warning as many as 35,000 cancer patients could die unnecessarily as a result of the impact of the pandemic on cancer services.
They add: “The Government and senior NHS leaders need to react to this national tragedy in cancer services. “When we watched the Panorama programme it seemed that the powers that be were aiming to get cancer back to normal by the end of the year. This is far too long - it is not okay to let cancer patients suffer and die. Every day of delay is a day too many. “They need to act now. Sadly it is too late for Kelly, but there’s still time to save others. We need an emergency response across all available cancer treatments with extra resources and with the same amount of energy and focus as was deployed against the virus itself.”
The petition is being sent to Health Secretary, Matt Hancock.
Kelly’s family has also launched an appeal to raise money for Cancer Research UK in her name. More than £16,000 has already been raised.
Urgent referrals for cancer care have dropped and treatments have been delayed or cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There is also a major backlog for screenings resulting in delayed diagnoses, the programme reveals.
Mark Lawler, Professor of Digital Health at Queen’s University Belfast,
MANCHESTER will host the first postlockdown live indoor performance in the UK, as the government prepares to reopen concert venues.
The Frog & Bucket on Swan Street has been selected for a ‘pilot’ live performance to test new safety measures. The pilot show will take place on Wednesday July 29, several days before other venues are permitted to open.
Other theatres, gig venues and performance spaces will have to wait until August 1 to welcome back indoor live audiences.
The sociallydistanced evening will help to test the guidance produced for venues.
The award-winning comedy club will produce the pilot show which will be a fundraiser for the Women in Comedy Festival.