24-year-old Lea Abell from Failsworth, Manchester is taking on the Great Manchester Run for the first time on Sunday 26th May to raise funds for The Christie Charity where she works.
Lea was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma cancer at the age of 17 in March 2017, and was treated at The Christie hospital in the TYA (Teenage and Young Adult) unit with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
She says: “The TYA, where do start? They are absolutely amazing! Every single member of staff from Julie the receptionist to Hanna Simpson, the head nurse and all of the other doctors and nurses were incredible. They make you feel so at home, and they support you mentally and physically thorough treatment - they are all so positive, so you don't feel like you’re going there for cancer treatment. I really wouldn't have got through it if it wasn't for the people there, so I owe them everything! Hanna and Julie always went out of their way to check up on me and tried to make my days better in any way they could, and I'll never forget that.”
Thankfully, in September 2018 Lea was told her treatment was successful. She then decided, after the support and care from The Christie, that she wanted to be a part of it all herself, so she successfully applied to work for The Christie Charity’s mass participation events team.
“As part of my work I attended the Great Manchester Run in 2023 and thought it was such a brilliant day that I decided I wanted to take part myself and raise funds for The Christie Charity where I work.”
Lea has only recently started her running journey this year, so to take on the Great Manchester Run will be a big achievement for her, but she has plenty of people in her corner.
She says: “My immediate family includes my mum Nicola, my dad Gary, and my brother and sister Jake and Sophia who were all there for me during treatment, and they will be there on the day of the Great Manchester Run to cheer me on alongside my other family members and friends.
Lindsey Farthing, mass participation events development manager at The Christie Charity, commented: “Lea is a valuable member of our team and we’re all really touched that she has chosen to run the Manchester 10K for our charity. To have a member of staff in our team that has been treated at The Christie and wants to give something back to the organisation that saved her life is really special for us all. We couldn’t be prouder of her and we wish her all the very best.”
To donate to Lea’s Just Giving Page:https://www.justgiving.com/page/lea-abell-1713449598907
To support the work of The Christie Charity, please go to Donate today (christie.nhs.uk) or ring 0161 446 3988.
The Christie Charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS is able to fund. This includes money for care and treatment, research, education, and extra patient services. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to patients and their families.
About The Christie Charity:
• The Christie Charity fundraises for vital new projects such as a new cancer centre in Macclesfield which opened in 2021 and a new world-class transformational research facility which opened in 2023. Find out more at www.christies.org/the-christie-charity/why-we-need-your-help/what-we-are-fundraising-for
• It has over 50,000 supporters who helped raise £23m last year. 82p in every pound raised goes directly to the patients, ensuring the money donated is spent where patients need it most.
• Supporters can find out how to donate at www.christies.org/the-christie-charity/donate
About The Christie NHS Foundation Trust:
• The Christie is a specialist cancer centre in Manchester and has more than 120 years of expertise in cancer care, research and education. It is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year.
• It is the largest provider of radiotherapy in the NHS (including high energy proton beam therapy and MR guided radiotherapy); it is home to the largest chemotherapy unit in the UK; and is a specialist surgical centre concentrating on rare cancers and complex procedures.
• The Christie is one of Europe's largest experimental cancer medicine centres and an international leader in research and development with around 650 clinical studies ongoing at any one time.