It’s something we love to do

TRACEY and Phil Payton’s incredible journey to help their daughter Emma get access to the proton beam treatment she needed to help fight her cancer took them all the way to America and back.

While over there, they witnessed first-hand the ‘end of treatment bells’ – a concept they loved so much they decided to bring it back to the UK.

They installed their very first bell in Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital in time for Emma to ring it at the end of her treatment, and have gone on to donate hundreds more.

The couple were visibly emotional after being presented by comedian John Thomson with their Special Recognition award, and told the M.E.N. it felt like a ‘full circle’ moment to win in their home town of Manchester.

Phil gave a special mention to The Christie hospital, which has since become the first site in the UK to offer the proton beam treatment that helped Emma.

“It’s amazing to be awarded for something that you just do in your everyday life,” Tracey said. “It’s something that we love to do, so to be awarded for something that you love is just incredible.”

The couple placed their 100th bell at The Christie, and have donated over 360 bells in total to hospitals and treatment centres across the UK. And they’re not stopping there. As well as the end of treatment bells, the couple have started to introduce ‘milestone’ bells, which people can ring after passing a significant moment in their treatment.

“It’s more inclusive for people whose treatment will be ongoing,” Tracey explained. “Some people might never finish treatment, but we encourage people to ring this bell for whatever reason they want!”

The couple also wanted to use their moment to thank the NHS for everything they do. “We’re really lucky to have the NHS on our doorstep and for them to fund things like this for families that don’t have access to this groundbreaking treatment,” Tracey said. “Or they didn’t have access. But they do now!”

“We never intended for this to happen,” Phil told the M.E.N. “But I think we’re the only charity that does it.”