Awardee Story

Adele from Poole is currently undergoing cancer treatment. DCCF recently paid for her to take her three children away for a much-needed weekend break.

She said: “My children are 13, 12 and 10 and this whole year has been a real challenge for them.

“Because I had to isolate during chemotherapy, our lives changed overnight. Cancer really does impact on the whole family.

“To see me unwell is very frightening. But they have been so brave. I’m very proud of them. They haven’t complained once about missing out on beach days and play dates.

She continued: “Our weekend away was very much needed.

“I’m currently having radiotherapy, so fatigue is a real issue. The break was a chance to relax and be a family without worrying about treatment and hospital appointments.

“I want to thank DCCF for giving us this precious time together.

“The charity does such amazing work and we are all so grateful.”

Tony Menary from Dorchester is fighting inoperable lung cancer – the former scaffolder’s second battle with cancer.

The father-of-three told how this time, knowing DCCF is here to help, has made a real difference to his family’s quality of life.

Tony, 55, said: “Prior to Covid I had been diagnosed with the lung condition Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). But in 2020 my breathing was getting worse.

“The pandemic meant it was difficult to get a hospital appointment.

“When I was able to have scans, they revealed I was suffering from inoperable Stage 4 lung cancer. And I was given just six months to live.”

He continued: “It was a terrible shock. All I could think of was that I wouldn’t see my daughter Isla’s 16^th birthday. I was determined to survive until then.

“I asked the doctors what they could do and concentrated firmly on the treatment, with twice daily rounds of radiotherapy at Poole Hospital for three weeks, followed by chemo and more preventative brain radiotherapy in Dorchester.”

Covid meant Tony had to travel alone back and forth from Poole.

He said: “I just did it and hoped the doctors could get me out the other side.”

Tony, who is originally from Glasgow, had fought and beat testicular cancer at the age of 35.

He said: “Back then there was no financial help and we struggled terribly. We lost our house and had to go and live in a caravan for a while. Some days I had to borrow the money to afford the petrol to Southampton for cancer treatment.

“I recovered though and a silver lining appeared soon after with the birth of a our ‘miracle baby’ Isla.”

Tony’s wife of 27 years Joanne works part time in care. The couple also have two other adult children.

Tony said: “We heard about DCCF through the CAB but for a while I didn’t seek any help. I just wanted to put everything into trying to survive this.

“However, our cooker was old and most of its parts weren’t working. Our bed was also ancient and trying to eat well and sleep well has become even more important, but we just couldn’t afford to replace them, so we decided to apply to DCCF for a grant.

“We were thrilled when we were told we had been successful and received the money to buy another cooker and a new bed. It’s made such a difference to us.

“Right now, I am taking each day as it comes. I am grateful to have been here to see Isla’s 16^th birthday and to have outlived the original prognosis.

“The NHS have been and continue to be wonderful and I am having three-monthly checks and hoping for the best.

“We are very grateful to DCCF and its fundraisers for helping make our life a little less of a struggle and encourage other people to seek DCCF’s help. It really is a fantastic charity.”